UK protesters take down slave trader’s statue, dump it in harbour

Thousands of individuals took to the streets of European cities Sunday showing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, with protesters in the English port of Bristol venting their anger at the country’s colonial history by toppling a statue of a 17th-century slave trader.

Demonstrators attached ropes to the statue of Edward Colston before pulling it right down to cheers and roars of approval from the crowd.

Images on social media show protesters appearing to kneel on the statue’s neck, recalling the death of George Floyd in Minnesota on May 25 which has sparked worldwide protests against racism and police violence.

Floyd, a black man, died after a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee on his neck even after he pleaded for air while lying handcuffed on the floor. The statue met with a watery end since it was eventually rolled in to the city’s harbor.

It wasn’t the only statute targeted on Sunday. In Brussels, protesters clambered onto the statue of former King Leopold II and chanted “reparations,” according to video posted on social media. The term “shame” was also graffitied on the monument, reference perhaps to the actual fact that Leopold is thought to have reigned over the mass death of 10 million Congolese.

Protesters also defaced the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in central London, crossing out his last name and spray painting “was a racist” underneath. They also taped a Black Lives Matter sign around its mid-section.

The day’s demonstration in London had begun around the U.S. Embassy, where thousands congregated - most it seemed wearing masks against the coronavirus - to protest Floyd’s brutal death and shine a light on racial inequalities at home.

“Everyone knows that represents a lot more than just George Floyd, a lot more than just America, but racism all over the world,” said Darcy Bourne, a London-based student.

The protests were mainly calm but for the next day running there have been some scuffles near to the offices of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Objects were thrown at police. Police have sent reinforcements and calm has been restored.

Protesters also threw objects at police later on beyond your gates of Parliament, where officers without riot gear formed a line. They were reinforced by riot police who quickly ran toward the scene.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said violence was “not acceptable” and urged those protesting to take action lawfully while also maintaining social distancing by remaining two meters (6.5 feet) apart. But most demonstrators didn’t heed that call, particularly before the U.S. Embassy.

Police said 14 officers were injured Saturday during clashes with protesters in central London that followed a largely relaxing demonstration that had been attended by thousands.

Hundreds of folks also formed a densely packed crowd Sunday in a square in central Manchester, kneeling in silence as a mark of respect for George Floyd.

In Hong Kong, about 20 persons staged a rally in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement on Sunday beyond your U.S. Consulate in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

“It’s a worldwide issue,” said Quinland Anderson, a 28-year-old British citizen surviving in Hong Kong. “We have to remind ourselves despite all we see going on in the U.S. and in the other areas of the world, black lives do indeed matter.”

A huge selection of demonstrators took to the streets in downtown Rio de Janeiro to protest against racism and police killings of black persons on Sunday. The protesters weren’t just joining protests against Floyd’s death in the U.S., but also denouncing the killing of black persons in Rio’s favelas.

The most recent case was João Pedro Pinto, 14, who was simply inside his house on, may 18 in Sao Gonçalo, a city in Rio’s metropolitan area, when police chasing alleged drug traffickers shot in to the house. The protesters on Sunday carried banners reading “Black mothers can’t stand crying anymore.” In Sao Paulo, another demonstratation ended with clashes between a tiny band of protesters and the authorities.

Several dozen demonstrators took part in a Black Lives Matter protest held in Tel Aviv’s central Rabin Square. Many wore blue surgical masks but didn't observe social distance guidelines.

A rally in Rome’s sprawling People’s Square was noisy but peaceful, with nearly all protesters wearing masks. Among those present was 26-year-old Ghanaian Abdul Nassir, who's studying for a master’s in business management at among the Italian capital’s public universities.

“It’s quite unfortunate, you know, in this current 21st century that persons of color are being treated as though they are lepers,” Nassir said. He said he occasionally has felt racist attitudes, most notably when riding the subway.

“Maybe you’re finding a spot to stand, and persons just keep moving (away) and you’ll be, like, ‘What?’” Nassir said: “We’re strong persons but sometimes everyone has a limit.”

At one point, the protesters, the majority of them young and some with children or siblings, took the knee and raised a fist in solidarity with those fighting racism and police brutality.

In Italy’s financial capital, Milan, a few thousand protesters gathered in a square outside the central place Sunday afternoon. Many in the crowd were migrants or children of migrants of African origin.

In Spain, thousands of protesters gathered on the streets of Barcelona and at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid.

Many in Madrid carried homemade signs reading “Black Lives Matter,” “Human rights for all” and “Silence is pro-racist.”

“We are not only doing this for our brother George Floyd,” said Thimbo Samb, a spokesman for the group that organized the events in Spain mainly through social media. “Here in Europe, in Spain, where we live, we work, we sleep and pay taxes, we also suffer racism.”