LONDON — After violence erupted at demonstrations in U.S. cities over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, several more peaceful protests have taken place in cities around the world.
Hundreds of people gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square on Sunday, following demonstrations in the German capital Berlin and Toronto, Canada.
“Say his name,” some shouted in London, while other held placards reading “I can’t breathe,” the last words uttered by Floyd, 46, before he died as former police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck on Monday.
Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on Friday, but riots across the U.S. have continued over the weekend. The violent scenes have made the headlines in countries across the globe.
In London, protesters defied laws banning large crowds gathering during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and many protesters were not social distancing, although a large number were wearing protective facemasks.
The anger was palpable.
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At least three more solidarity protests have been planned in the British capital over the next week, one outside the U.S. embassy, while other locations in the city’s center are also being earmarked for demonstrations. .
Sunday’s protests in London followed demonstrations on Saturday in Berlin, where thousands of protesters gathered on Saturday outside the German capital’s U.S. embassy.
Some held up signs that read “Black Lives Matter,” “Justice for George Floyd” and “I Can’t Breathe.”
In Canada, thousands also turned out in Toronto’s Christie Pitts Park on Saturday, before they marched to police headquarters.
As well as protesting Floyd’s death, many vented their anger at the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, who died last week after falling from her 24th-floor balcony after police officers were called to her home.
Toronto Police are investigating the incident.
Elsewhere, popular critics of the U.S., China, Iran and Russia have vocalized some support for the protesters.
In China, state media have highlighted the “double-standards” of U.S. support for pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong, while quelling unrest in the United States.
The Russian ministry of foreign affairs tweeted: “American police commit high-profile crimes all too often … U.S. authorities should meticulously investigate the murder of George Floyd.”
Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif also shared a satirical post on Twitter, crossing out accusations towards Iran in a U.S. press release with red ink and redirecting them back towards America.
The president of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, also said in a statement that he condemned “in the strongest terms the murder of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement officers in the United States of America.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
Amin Hossein Khodadadi contributed.