Worldwide wave of protests against racism is not ebbing away
The worldwide wave of protests against racism triggered by the killing of African American George Floyd continued yesterday. In London alone, tens of thousands flocked to the city center and to the US embassy, although Health Minister Matt Hancock and the police had called for no further mass protests because of the risk of the corona virus spreading. Thousands also took to the streets in Rome, Copenhagen and Madrid.
In Bristol, UK, demonstrators threw a statue of a British slave trader into the harbor basin. As an eyewitness video recording shows, people put a noose around the neck of the statue of Edward Colston and brought it down. With cheers of excitement, they dragged the bronze statue to the harbor, where they sank it in the River Avon. Police in the city in south-west England have announced an investigation.
However, tens of thousands of people demonstrated peacefully again in the United States against racism, discrimination and police violence. In Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta and other cities, people took to the streets in a relaxed mood.
Collisions were reported only very occasionally. There were also peaceful protests outside the White House in Washington – which were also directed against US President Donald Trump and his policies.
New York proposes reforms
In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio presented proposals for reforming the police force in the metropolis. For example, part of the NYPD’s budget should be used for youth and social work, de Blasio said at a press conference yesterday.
In addition, the handling of police officers‘ disciplinary files should become more transparent. These are only first steps, the details still have to be worked out, said de Blasio. „This is a moment of transformation.“
