Hundreds of Demonstrators in London Protested the Killing of George Floyd

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in central London today to protest the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

The 46-year-old died on Monday after former police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nine minutes, despite Floyd repeatedly telling him he could not breathe. Chauvin has been fired and charged with third degree murder. The three other officers involved in the arrest have also been fired, and the local county prosecutor has said he "anticipates charges" for them.

Floyd's killing has sparked protests in cities across the US, with some leading to clashes with police, while protesters in Minneapolis have condemned the "opportunistic" looting taking place in certain cities. This weekend, solidarity protests have been held in cities across the world.

At around 1PM on Sunday, crowds began to form in both Trafalgar Square for the Kneel for George protest, chanting, "Black lives matter," "Say his name, George Floyd" and "Fuck the police." The police presence was fairly minimal in Trafalgar Square, but began to bulk up as demonstrators marched down Whitehall, shouting "racist Boris" as they passed Downing Street. Some protesters also marched on the US embassy in Nine Elms.

More protests in the UK have been organised for this coming week.

In the US, disturbing footage has emerged of the police response to protests, with officers filmed violently shoving bystanders to the ground, spraying mace at people as they walk away, intentionally driving squad cars directly into crowds of demonstrators and firing paintballs at both reporters and residents of Minneapolis standing on their own property.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has defended the NYPD officers who were filmed purposefully hitting protesters with their cars, saying, "If those protesters had just gotten out of the way and not created an attempt to surround that vehicle, we would not be talking about this."

Scroll down to see more photos from the demonstration in London.

@christopherbethell