tens of thousands of people took part in further anti racism protests across Britain today with the statue of a 17th century slave trader pulled down in Bristol the monument to Edward Colston which had stood in the city centre for more than a century was toppled and pushed into the river the latest demonstrations came thirteen days after the killing of George Floyd by US police and despite the government here urging people not to take part because of the risk of catching or spreading coronavirus tonight Boris Johnson defended the right to protest peacefully but said the weekend's
demonstrations had been subverted by thuggery from Bristol John K sent us this report 300 years after his death Edward Colston's fall from grace for centuries he took pride of place in Bristol celebrated as a merchant politician and philanthropist now reviled for his part in the slave trade that statue represents years of oppression it represents years of heart and just a lot of emotion that and hatred that has been built up inside of us that's we've internalized for years and that coming down today hopefully signifies change hopefully we've sent a message not just to everyone in
the UK or the USA worldwide cast in bronze now dog Keith graffiti one of Bristol's most famous sons some protestors knelt on his neck a reference to the death of George Floyd across the Atlantic this had begun as a black lives matter demonstration but it ended in the historic docks where Colston's ships once sailed [Applause] gone jasmine is a trainee teacher what do you say to somebody who lives in Bristol who's horrified by the fact that this is gone people modalism people have to walk these streets black slaves bill kristol walk the street and see
that statue of Constance every day that's what it means that statue is a it's a kick in the face to all black people there has been a growing campaign in recent years to remove Colston's name from buildings across the city but many field destroying the statue was the wrong way to do it tonight there was a small counter protest claiming local history had been trashed she had vandalism and disorder completely is unacceptable and it's right actually the police follow up on that and make sure that justice is taken undertaken with those individuals that are responsible
for such disorderly and lawless behavior Aven and Somerset Police say they deliberately took a low-key approach to the whole protest due to sensitivities safety and social distancing some people will look at this and think hang on a minute you should have intervened you should have stepped in you should have at least challenged the behavior that was happening this was a very difficult policing operation there's a lot of context that sits around there and I believe we did the right thing no regrets no regrets well this evening people are coming down here laying placards and many
of them just standing looking in disbelief at what has happened here that in one afternoon this city has challenged its history and changed its landscape John Kay BBC News Bristol elsewhere protests took place in several parts of the country with thousands gathering at the US Embassy in London a small number remained near Downing Street into this evening and they have just been ordered to disperse by police chi Chi's and do reports another day where thousands have marched peacefully against racism in London the focus was the US Embassy so I grew up with a lot of
importance violence around me and it's something I don't want my son to experience in his life thus one of the reasons why I'm in this country because it is less violent but it's still there's still racism so we have to fight it so therefore today this is my deep passion and I and I I'm here because I believe that black people deserve the same chance as everybody else we need to tackle racism and we've never really dealt with it in this country in many countries and there comes a time where we all have to speak
up in Glasgow protesting safely during the pandemic was a concern for organisers in Wrexham people also protested mindful of the 2-meter social distancing this was the m6 which was partially closed for one hour after protesters blocked the roads but the day has been marred by a minority 27 police officers have been injured during this week's demonstrations but that number is likely to rise after this evening bottles traffic cones and other objects were thrown officers as they tried to clear protesters out of white home taken to the streets to have their voices heard but where does
this go and what happens next Gigi's into BBC News the young organizers of today's protests have told the BBC that they are the generation to bring about real change in the past fortnight the black lives matter hashtag has been used 14 million times on social media and many people have shared and listened to experiences of racism our community affairs correspondent Rihanna Crockford reports what all black and we need to stand together don't want my children to have to do the same thing that I'm doing right now we the furry families that left behind are the
voices of the cemetery they are four decades apart united by the same battle against racism natasha is 21 and just a student but today she and her friend i'ma have brought together thousands of people across the UK to protest over the death of African American George Floyd you you can't really tell the oppressed how to feel because we're the ones who are experiencing yet just because people aren't like out on the street like pointing at me and calling me the N word doesn't mean that like racism isn't still alive what do you say to people
who criticize the lack of social distancing at these protests we have a health epidemic happening right now I don't want people to be affected but the same time we have another pandemic a pandemic of black people being killed as shot every single day and no one's talking about it no one's fighting about it so I think that we need to fight both of these pandemics this isn't the first time people in the UK have taken to the streets to protest the Brixton riots in 1995 the London riots in 2011 and the protests today have all
been triggered by the deaths of black people killed by the police or in police custody these are the faces of some of the people who have died an uncomfortable history some say it's now time for the nation to confront its Sun King and then it doesn't sink him and then it sunk in Stephanie Lightfoot Bennett is still fighting for justice for her brother Leon who died in police custody in 1992 his case was reopened in November last year when Leon died it was nothing you know and now we have this movement where Amy death is
now highlighted and students I love students they are the future they are the eyes and they are the ones that will help shut the door not completely but shut the door on racism as yet another generation take for the streets these organizers say they won't stop till those in power start to listen Brianna Crockford BBC news the England and Manchester City footballer Raheem Sterling has tonight told the BBC he has given his support to the protesters calling for efforts to end injustice he was speaking to Emily Maitlis in an interview which will run in full
on Newsnight tomorrow the only no disease right now is the racism that we're fighting I think this right now this input this is the most important thing at this this moment I'm because you know it's just something that's been happening for years and years and you know just like the pandemic we want to see it we want to find something a solution so it's a stop it Raheem Sterling when it's turned to our home editor mark Easton who's here in the studio what are you taking away from the series of protests in this country Logue
no why are people so frustrated and so angry in Britain in the 21st century angry enough to take to the streets in the middle of a deadly pandemic angry enough to risk arrest Andy enough angry enough in some cases to commit acts of criminal damage you know George George Floyd died thousands of miles away in Minneapolis and yet his death I think feels deeply personal to many people from the black and minority ethnic communities in this country because it's a reminder of the prejudice and the unfair privilege which still exists here of the pain of
racism the injustice of profound racial inequalities that exist in this country today of course there will be in a very real questions about the wisdom of mass protests in the middle of a virus and indeed about the violent behavior of a of a few protesters the thuggery that the Prime Minister is talked about tonight but as Britain tries to identify what our new normal society's going to look like after this virus perhaps we should try and think how are we going to respond to the obviously deep unhappiness frustration and anger that we've seen on our
streets over the last few days mark thank you very much well let's go live now to Washington tomorrow it will be two weeks since George Floyd was killed by police in the US state of Minnesota and our North America correspondent Alima bull is at the White House now what is the latest there aleem on the aftermath of George Floyd's death the response and the handling from the administration yeah well things have been extremely peaceful over recent days you can barely see security forces visible here too I mean there was a sense that they were a
bit of a red rag to a bull particularly National Guard troops on the streets for a lot of the protesters we now hear that they won't be used going forward but still large numbers of people coming here to the White House and to protest around the country and while the overarching cause of course black lives matter against institutional racism and brutality by the police is the same everywhere there are a lot of local causes being fought for as well like in Colorado people are fighting for justice for a particular family of an African American who
is killed by local police there and in other places like in Virginia there are protests calling for Confederate statues to be removed and in some cases protesters have taken matters into their own hands removing memorials to those who defended slavery or even fought to keep slavery but in other cases as with the authorities in Virginia they've agreed to the demands of the protesters to remove more statues so well that is still the case while there are still tangible demands that can be met around the country I think we're going to see these protests continue beyond
the memorial to George Floyd tomorrow in Texas and beyond his funeral on Tuesday as well Alima ball in Washington thank you
