‘Like a civil war’: how the world is reacting to the US protests
- Hundreds of protesters rally in London and Berlin over US death
- Chinese officials and state media needle the Trump administration
Nations around the world have watched in horror – and with interest – the civil unrest in the United States following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck until he stopped breathing.
Racism-tinged events no longer startle even America’s closest allies, though many have watched coverage of the often-violent protests with growing unease. Burning cars and riot police in the US featured on newspaper front pages around the globe Sunday – bumping news of the Covid-19 pandemic to second-tier status in some places.
Floyd’s death on May 25 in Minneapolis was the latest in a series of deaths of black men and women at the hands of police in the US.
Thousands gathered in central London on Sunday to offer support for American demonstrators. Chanting “No justice! No peace!” and waving placards with the words “How many more?” at Trafalgar Square, the protesters ignored UK government rules banning crowds because of the pandemic. Police did not stop them.
Demonstrators then marched to the US embassy, where a long line of officers surrounded the building. Several hundred milled around in the street and waved placards.