tens of thousands of people have joined
anti racism demonstrations across the UK
despite government Appeals for potestas
to stay at home because of fears of
spreading the corona virus many taking
to the streets did wear face coverings
in gloves London Manchester Cardiff
Leicester and Sheffield were some of the
places that saw the black lives matter
protests following the killing of George
Floyd in the u.s. city of Minneapolis
last month the demonstrations were
largely peaceful
but there were some clashes with police
outside Downing Street this evening with
mounted officers driving back some
protestors along Whitehall with more his
Chi Chi isn't due early evening after
the official end of the protests police
were trying to clear white horn
the officer knocked herself off her
horse it bolted into the crowd and
trampled a protester both are now
receiving medical care
this is exactly what organizers called
not to happen just at the end of the
protest when the heavens had opened
trouble started despite heavy rain group
stayed behind throwing bottles and
flares at offices other protesters
called for calm peaceful is what the
main event had been a much larger number
had turned up than expected but this is
a movement growing with each protest not
only over the death of African American
George Floyd last month after white
police officer knelt on his neck but to
highlight that the UK is not innocent
when it comes to racism
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the government had appealed for people
to stay away we are in a health pandemic
across the United Kingdom and
coronavirus is a deadly virus and of
course I'd say to those that want to
protest please don't the regulations
very clear you know in terms of
gatherings and mass mass gatherings in
particular we must put public health
first at this particular time
organizers handed out masks and gloves
and told people to keep two metres apart
but as the crowd grew space diminished
but London isn't the only place taking a
peaceful stand in Belfast they manage
social distancing during their
demonstration in Manchester an estimated
15,000 people gathered in and around
Piccadilly square I'm from America so
this is just a really big deal to see
this impacting the world so far from
home yeah it's actually pretty fantastic
in Sheffield thousands of protesters
took the name a peaceful symbolic
gesture against racial inequality and
police brutality this fast becoming the
emblem of this time this is one voice
with one message black lives matter and
as thousands gathered in towns and
cities around the UK there's a hope that
they'll be heard and real change can
starts chichis undo BBC news well in
America Washington DC saw some of the
biggest protests in more than a week of
demonstrations over the death of George
Floyd and our correspondent Ally McBeal
is there for us Eileen twelve days of
demonstrations now and still huge crowds
where you are
yeah the biggest so far undoubtedly
thousands upon thousands of people
families children are just on this side
of the White House but right around the
building who remained peaceful
good-natured but of course with a very
serious message but well this
demonstration was going on so too was a
memorial service of a conference center
in Raiford North Carolina that's where
George Floyd was born he was killed of
course in Minneapolis his body was
brought down from there and this is the
first in four days of memorial events
for George Floyd that will come wait in
his funeral in Houston Texas on Tuesday
but here what has been interesting
speaking to people in Washington DC as
opposed to other days is when we say
well what is the message for the
president the man in that building
behind me a lot of people now saying
well it's moved beyond that a lot of
people don't expect him to do the right
thing
what this is about now is about
influencing police about individuals
about police forces it's not about the
president anymore okay Eileen thank you
Alima Paul there in Washington DC our
protests have also been taking place in
Australia again despite government calls
for people to stay away because of the
coronavirus the demonstrators focused on
the treatment of Indigenous Australians
Shama kahlil's report does contain some
distressing images a day of high tempers
and high spirits for protesters in
central Sydney politicians had urged him
to stay away fearing another wave of
kovin 19 my side of them don't go not
because you shouldn't express give you
find another way to express your view
but that didn't stop them I'm an
Aboriginal woman so it severe so Jake
very question my heart and just so nice
to see
people from all creeds come together for
this I don't want to be a white person
he sits by and does nothing in the past
three decades more than 400 indigenous
australians have died in police custody
and issue many hearsay has long been
ignored but was a very public killing of
George Floyd in the United States the
Aboriginal community is using the
international outcry to express their
own anger this seems all too familiar a
black man restrained by officers
screaming I can't breathe these were the
last minutes of David donkey juniors
life caught on camera in a Sydney prison
hospital in 2015
the inquest into the 26 year olds jess
found that the officers conduct was a
result of insufficient training but his
family has called for them to be
prosecuted seeing George Freud Einstein
as to her son has been distressing for
David's mother to use this come from the
eyes and pain came to my heart again and
if I say be strong the fluid family well
we are in pain the same and we do
understand what you're going through
protesters hope marches like this
highlight not just black deaths in
custody but the centuries of inequality
Indigenous Australians have suffered and
that a newfound momentum could mean a
better future for the community Shai
mahalia BBC News Sydney