Thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona, Madrid and Rome on Sunday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, which has drawn large protests against racism and police brutality around the world.
The rally in Rome’s sprawling People’s Square was noisy but peaceful, with the majority of protesters wearing masks to protect against coronavirus. Participants listened to speeches and held up handmade placards saying “Black Lives Matter” and “It’s a White Problem.”
The rally came a day after largely peaceful anti-racism protests took place in cities from Australia to Europe to the US in response to the May 25 death of American George Floyd.
Floyd, a black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck even after he pleaded for air while lying handcuffed on the ground.
More demonstrations were being held Sunday across the UK, including one outside the US Embassy in London just south of the River Thames.
In Berlin, police said 93 people were detained in connection with a demonstration in the German capital on Saturday — most of them after the main rally of 15,000 had ended.
Police said several officers and one press photographer were injured in Berlin when bottles and rocks were thrown from a crowd that had gathered despite police orders to clear the city’s Alexander Square.