Police Brutality in US: Anti-racism protests spread around world

 Demonstrators filled the streets in major cities around the world yesterday, staging some of the most peaceful protests against racism following the death of unarmed African American George Floyd at the hands of police.

People marched in Washington, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Sydney and elsewhere, with turnout reaching the tens of thousands in some cities.

In United States, Washington was at the epicentre, as thousands of people -- black, white and brown -- flooded downtown streets surrounding the White House on Saturday.

"This fight has been happening for many, many decades, hundreds of years, and at this point it's time for a change," said Washington native Christine Montgomery.

"I'm here so my son is not the next hashtag that is circulating worldwide," she added, indicating her 10-year-old child standing next to her.

On a sunny but oppressively hot day, many people wore masks because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Volunteers gave out water, hand sanitizer and other supplies as the area took on a block party vibe, with music, mural painting, food trucks, and vendors selling Black Lives Matter T-shirts.

Helicopters circled overhead as some protesters danced -- but the pain which drove many in to the streets was never far below the surface, as others yelled "This ain't no party!"

Military personnel as well as police watched over the gathering. But there appeared to be fewer than on previous days, and some gave the protesters small smiles and waves as they marched by.

On the National Mall, fencing and uniformed guards blocked protesters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr famously delivered his "I have a dream" speech in 1963.

The protests were ignited by videos of a police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes as he pleaded for his life -- the latest unarmed black person to be killed by white law enforcement officers.

The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with second-degree murder.

President Donald Trump announced in a tweet yesterday that he has ordered the National Guard to begin withdrawing from Washington, DC.

Peaceful protests swelled in other US cities on Saturday.

Tens of thousands rallied across New York City and Philadelphia, Chicago shut down the city's Lake Shore Drive to facilitate protests, and demonstrators marched in Los Angeles.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio early yesterday lifted a curfew he had imposed on the city for nearly a week as anti-racism protests raged there and nationwide, reports AFP.

In San Francisco, thousands marched across the Golden Gate Bridge, briefly stopping traffic as they spilled into the driving lanes.

'I CAN'T GO IN'

But the demonstrations in Washington were the biggest since protests began in Minneapolis before spreading across the country and then abroad.

"Today, the pain is so raw it can be hard to keep faith," tweeted Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden.

A remembrance for Floyd was held Saturday in North Carolina, the state where he was born, following a memorial service in Minneapolis on Thursday.

Hundreds waited to view his coffin, some holding umbrellas against the hot sun. Some sobbed and many held cell phones high as a hearse arrived with the casket.

Floyd's sisters LaTonya and Zsa-Zsa told reporters they would not go inside.

"I can't go in, see him laying in a coffin, it would drive me crazy forever," said LaTonya through tears.

She expressed her pain at watching the footage of her brother's agonizing death.

'IT'S ABOUT TIME'

Around the world, protesters echoed the rage of American demonstrators.

"It is time to burn down institutional racism," one speaker shouted through a megaphone at a hooting crowd of thousands outside the parliament building in London.

Tens of thousands rallied in Australia and France, while in Tunis, hundreds chanted: "We want justice! We want to breathe!"

Several thousand people massed outside the US embassy in Madrid yesterday, repeating "I cannot breathe", Floyd's last words as he was asphyxiated by the officer, and demanding racial justice.

Rome's Piazza del Popolo ("People's Plaza") also fell silent for eight minutes -- around the time Floyd was pinned down by the white police -- with thousands of people taking a knee in memory of Floyd, their fists in the air.

Back in New York, two policemen in Buffalo were charged with felony assault Saturday after they were filmed shoving a 75-year-old protester who fell, hit his head and began bleeding, in one of the most widely shared videos fuelling outrage.

But there were some changes to policing as well.

In Seattle, authorities announced a temporary ban on tear gas. A federal judge in Denver forbade the use of chemical agents and projectiles like rubber bullets against peaceful protesters. And in Dallas, police marched in solidarity with protesters.

The unrest has handed President Donald Trump -- the target of many a biting protest sign and chant -- one of the greatest challenges of his tumultuous presidency.

While condemning Floyd's death, he has adopted a tough stance toward protesters, calling them "thugs" or "terrorists" and threatening a military crackdown.

"LAW & ORDER!" the president tweeted as evening fell Saturday, adding later that the crowd in DC was "much smaller" than anticipated.