Black Lives Matter protests around the world, in photos
The world is watching—and protesting. George Floyd’s May 25 death at the hands of Minneapolis police has sparked protests not only in every single state, but in cities around the world, including New York; Seattle; Sydney; Cape Town, South Africa; Tel Aviv, Israel; Helsinki, and Auckland, New Zealand.
Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes, has been charged with second-degree murder. On Wednesday, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane—the three other officers present—were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
A painting of George Floyd stands behind a group of people gathered at a memorial on the block where he was killed by police in Minneapolis. A group of clergy marched to the site to give prayers and call for justice. Stephen Maturen/Getty
U.S. cities including New York; Washington, D.C.; Raleigh, North Carolina; Los Angeles and Atlanta have imposed citywide curfews in an effort to dissuade demonstrations after dark. Police—and in some cases—the National Guard have been deployed to monitor the protests, though in some cases has resulted in violent confrontation between law enforcement and civilians.
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Protesters denouncing police brutality and systemic racism exit the Manhattan Bridge after being stopped by police for hours during a citywide curfew in New York City on June 2. Scott Heins/Getty
On Tuesday night, protesters in New York City marched from Brooklyn to Manhattan over the Manhattan Bridge post the newly enacted 8 p.m. curfew. Protesters were stuck on the bridge for hours due to blockades set up on either side by police but eventually were able to return to the Brooklyn side.
Protesters gather in Martin Place during a “Black Lives Matter” rally on June 2 in Sydney. The event was organized to rally against aboriginal deaths in custody in Australia as well as in solidarity with protests across the United States. Brook Mitchell/Getty
On the same night, across the world in Sydney, Australia, protesters gathered in solidarity with U.S. protesters as well bring awareness to police brutality that occurs in Australia against the Aboriginal population. One case, in particular, draws startling comparison to that of Floyd and the 2014 death of Eric Garner when a 26-year-old Aboriginal man, David Dungay, said, “I can’t breathe” 12 times before he died while being restrained by five prison guards.
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Members of “Migrant Women and Daughters Network” protested in front of the war memorial in Rome, displaying signs and writings on their bodies. Simona Granati – Corbis/Corbis/Getty
In Italy, members of the ‘Migrant Women and Daughters Network’ came together to show their support for the protests in Minneapolis and around the U.S. as well as calling for justice for all victims of social and institutional racism.
Protesters gather for a demonstration after French medical experts exonerated the gendarme involved in the arrest of Adama Traore, a young black man who died in police custody in 2016, outside the “Tribunal de Paris” courthouse on June 2 in Paris. Pierre Suu/Getty
On Tuesday, an estimated 20,000 people took to the streets of Paris, despite a police ban, to protest against the 2016 death of Adama Traoré, a 24-year-old man who died after he was pinned to the ground by three officers. “Today when we fight for George Floyd who is our brother in the United States, we fight for Adama,” Traoreé’s sister, Assa, said in a video shared on social media.
A small group of protesters stand with placards during a protest against police violence, at the gates of the South African Parliament in Cape Town, on June 3. RODGER BOSCH / AFP/Getty
At the gates of Parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, a small group of protesters gathered in solidarity with protesters in the U.S., with signs reading “If You Are Not Angry, You Are Not Paying Attention” as well as “Black Lives Matter.”
Demonstrators lay down on Pennsylvania Avenue during a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd, on June 3 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Getty
In Washington D.C., demonstrators have been gathering along Pennsylvania Avenue and throughout the city for days. Last week, the White House was placed on lockdown as protesters moved closer to the president’s residence and the Secret Service stepped in—confronting protesters calling for the president to resign.
Around 200 people gathered in Tel Aviv on June 2 in support of U.S. protesters. JACK GUEZ / AFP/Getty
In Tel Aviv, demonstrators gathered in solidarity with U.S. protesters as well to shine a light on the deaths of Black Israelis at the hands of police. Protesters were also calling for justice in the killing of Iyad al-Halak, a 32-year-old Palestinian with autism who was shot by Israeli Border Police on Saturday, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Portraits and signs showing support for protests against police brutality are seen hanging on the fence outside of the U.S. embassy in Mexico City on May 30. PEDRO PARDO/AFP/Getty
On the fence outside of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, portraits are have been hung with signs in English and Spanish—one reading “Racism kills here, there and all over the world.”
People gather to protest over the death of George Floyd, outside the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct on June 2. Jason Redmond / AFP/Getty
Protesters have gathered outside of the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct on June 2. In Seattle, like New York, protesters defied curfew and stayed out after dark. At around 11:40 p.m. police used tear gas on protesters gathered on Capitol Hill after one of the demonstrators reportedly threw a bottle toward officers.
Protesters take part in a Black Lives Matter march in Helsink on June 3, in solidarity with protests raging across the United States over the death of George Floyd. ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO/Lehtikuva/AFP/Getty
Thousands of people gathered in Helsinki’s Senate Square Wednesday evening to protest police brutality. Protesters were invited to take a knee in solidarity with protesters in the U.S. at the start of the event.
Protesters hold signs demanding justice for George Floyd during a demonstration on June 2, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gustavo Garello/Jam Media/Getty
Protesters marched in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Tuesday with signs covered with pleas for justice for George Floyd. Signs also had messages criticizing President Donald Trump calling him a “racist” and “repressor.”
Protesters march down Queen Street on June 1 in Auckland, New Zealand. The rally was organized in solidarity with protests across the United States. Hannah Peters/Getty
Over 8,000 miles away from Minneapolis, protesters in Auckland, marched down Queen Street on June 1 to show their solidarity as well as speak out about “racist policing” toward the indigenous populations in New Zealand, the NZ Herald reports. Though the city is still under Level 2 regulations, due to COVID-19, police did not intervene and allowed the peaceful protest to continue.
Demonstrators block the road as they gather outside the U.S. Embassy in London on May 31. JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty
In London, thousands gathered in Hyde Park Tuesday to protest Floyd’s death as well as racial inequality in the U.K. “There’s poverty, you have 30 million unemployed in the United States of America, you have tens of millions of people with no food to eat in the United States of America and of all this and at the same time, they’re killing us on the streets because of the color of our skin,” one of the speakers said over a megaphone as previously reported by Newsweek.
On June 1 in Minneapolis, a woman leaves flowers at the site where George Floyd died May 25 while in police custody. Stephen Maturen/Getty
In Minneapolis, where Floyd lived and was killed, mourners and protesters have constructed a memorial at the site where he died. A mural has been painted on the wall outside of Cup Foods and flowers and signs are laid in his honor.
People march peacefully in front of the Hollywood sign on June 1 amid demonstrations over George Floyd’s death in Los Angeles, California. Mario Tama/Getty
California Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles County to monitor the unrest in the area. Several districts in Beverly Hills have enacted one of the more restrictive curfews in the nation, asking residents to stay indoors starting at 1 p.m. until Thursday at 6 a.m. A citywide curfew begins at 4 p.m.
People gathered outside of Belfast City Hall on June 1 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with signs showing solidarity. Carrie Davenport/Getty
On June 1, people in Belfast, Northern Ireland, gathered outside of Belfast City Hall to show their support. Jolene Francis, who helped organize the rally, told the BBC that “There’s a history of solidarity between us here in Belfast, and the black community in America, and we don’t plan on having our voices silenced.”
Protesters demonstrate to mourn the death of George Floyd during a march across downtown Houston on June 2. MARK FELIX/AFP/Getty
In Houston, where Floyd grew up, protesters showed their support on foot—as well as on horseback. Videos began circulating on social media of men on horseback and at least one was seen wearing a shirt that read “Black Cowboys Matter.”