Anti-racist protests in the biggest cities of Europe

In the last couple of weeks peaceful protests started in the United States of America before quickly spreading around the globe fighting against systematic racism and police violence. The protests began in Minneapolis, Minnesota following the death of the Afro-American George Floyd. On May 25, 2020 he was brutally murdered by a white police officer who held him down by pressing a knee into his neck for nine minutes. The violent abuse went viral and rapidly made its way around the world.

His death has set off a symbol of police brutality against black Americans. Nevertheless, racism is a worldwide issue, not only in the US but also in many other states. It does not matter where you are. Therefore, the protests have taken place in several big cities internationally.

Thousands of people took to the streets of the German and British capitals to show support, solidarity and justice with US protesters carrying signs reading: “No justice, no peace”. Some people also stated that racism is a bigger threat and pandemic to them compared with the corona crisis.

“On Sunday, in Bristol, a city in the southwest of England, protesters pulled down a statue of a 17th century slave trader and dumped it into the harbor where slave ships once docked.”

In Berlin, a mural tribute to Floyd was painted on a section of the former Berlin wall in the famous Mauerpark, where artists can let their creativity flow.

During the German Bundesliga games, soccer stars took part in joining in the protests on Sunday.

“Borussia Dortmund player Jadon Sancho lifted his jersey after scoring a goal to reveal a T-shirt reading: "Justice for George Floyd." He received a yellow card for the move.”

“Earlier, forward Marcus Thuram took a knee on the pitch after scoring during Borussia Monchengladbach's win over Union Berlin. After scoring in the first half, Thuram dropped his knee to the ground and bowed his head, waiting several seconds before getting up again.”

In London, the protesters knelt in Trafalgar Square before marching past the Houses of Parliament and stopping outside the US Embassy there.

The kneeling protests in London and during German Bundesliga are a reference to the style of peaceful protest used by Colin Kaepernick, a former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who would kneel with others on NFL teams during the US national anthem to protest against police brutality and racism amid the Black Lives Matter movement.     

Sources:

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/george-floyd-memorial-service-protests/index.html

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/in-pictures-the-scale-of-black-lives-matter-protests-across-the-globe-095242797.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS91cmw_c2E9dCZyY3Q9aiZxPSZlc3JjPXMmc291cmNlPXdlYiZjZD0mdmVkPTJhaFVLRXdqUThkekh4X0xwQWhVSEhIY0tIYklHQklRUUZqQUJlZ1FJQXhBQiZ1cmw9aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ1ay5uZXdzLnlhaG9vLmNvbSUyRmluLXBpY3R1cmVzLXRoZS1zY2FsZS1vZi1ibGFjay1saXZlcy1tYXR0ZXItcHJvdGVzdHMtYWNyb3NzLXRoZS1nbG9iZS0wOTUyNDI3OTcuaHRtbCZ1c2c9QU92VmF3MURiWVh4NzNYc3JYUmhJRWdJazdNUw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAET1QkaVAW6cNICA93787jK5U69t41t208D3MmJeyDu5Y9ruq7TD_sDbI5cgPO94oxWAOdCmL4UQRMmJ-4_jbefuKuBPXHRnGpfQDmprUrN3-QBq2qPqL-1CBWlFlvcJMmD4L4MXEzLDrouYMk5SlepU6PodNidIEzVIPggdQs5H

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd

https://time.com/5850040/uk-anti-racism-protests/

https://www.dw.com/en/anti-racism-protests-spread-to-berlin-and-london/a-53643710