This archive report was first published on 7 June 2020.
As the world continues to grapple with the aftermath of George Floyd's death, protests against racism and police brutality have shown no signs of slowing down. On Sunday, crowds gathered in Rome, London, and other cities, demanding justice and equality.
At Rome's Piazza del Popolo, thousands of people, mostly young Italians, swelled the square, chanting slogans like 'Black lives matter' and 'No justice, no peace.' Fatimah Provillon, a New Jersey native living in Rome for 13 years, addressed the crowd, saying, 'As many of you know, there is a very serious problem with state-condoned violence in the United States. But it's not just a U.S. problem — it's happening all over the world.'
Similar scenes played out in London, where thousands of people filled the streets outside the U.S. Embassy, chanting George Floyd's name and other slogans. A group of 18-year-old friends from South London, who were at the protest, said they came to protest the injustice of the justice system and the deaths of black people everywhere. Jamal Marcano, 23, from West London, shared his personal experience of being stopped by the police due to racial profiling, saying, 'In the U.S. the racism is more blatant, in the U.K. it is more subtle.'
London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, offered support to the weekend's demonstrations, writing on Twitter, 'Londoners of all ages, races and backgrounds joined millions of people around the world yesterday to come together peacefully. I stand with you.'
