Anti-racism protests were held across the world Sunday, with tens of thousands of demonstrators in Rome, Berlin, London, and Paris taking to the streets.
While some protests were sparked by the killing of George Floyd, an African American man in Minneapolis who was pronounced dead after a police officer kneeled on his neck, European countries are also citing their own instances of racist violence.
Donning masks, thousands of people went to Rome’s People’s Square Sunday in the city’s first major demonstration against racism.
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in London as well — some outside the U.S. Embassy, though organizers noted that they wanted to address racism in Britain.
Chants included “The U.K. is not innocent.” Protesters in Bristol toppled and pushed into the harbor a statue of Edward Colston — a 17th century politician who oversaw some of the West African slave trade.
K-pop band BTS’ label said Sunday that the group had donated one million dollars to the Black Lives Matter campaign. The announcement follows a tweet from the group last week in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
BTS fans have used the hashtag #MatchAMillion, vowing to match the donation.
German officials announced Sunday that nearly 100 people were arrested following anti-racist demonstrations over the weekend which were attended by roughly 15,000 people, according to the Associated Press.
Protesters in Paris have drawn a comparison between George Floyd and Adama Traoré — a young black man who died in police custody north of Paris four years ago. Traoré’s family has repeatedly claimed that officers tackled him and he died of suffocation.
In Australia, protesters have taken to the streets to highlight indigenous Australians who have died in police custody. According to the Associated Press, indigenous Australians make up just 2% of the country’s population, but 27% of the prison population.
Source=https://www.voanews.com/usa/nation-turmoil-george-floyd-protests/anti-racism-protests-held-across-world
