George Floyd Protests in Hyde Park

* The police say he tripped so they have not taken any action - it's clear he was pushed!*

The two officers concerned have been suspended.

But now all the unit have resigned in support of them

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52945190

The scenes of the poor police horse bolting in terror through the crowds after it's rider was knocked off are dreadful.

So sad. They're usually bomb proof but I think without his rider he got in a panic.

I question the use of horses in this sort of unrest.

As for it being easy to stop these protests I ask, how?

How is it easy to disperse tens of thousands of people?

Water cannons aren't the answer. That would enflame the situation and no doubt cause more protest marches in the future.

I just don't know.

All I know is it's terribly sad.

How many of us will view it with despair?!!

I too wonder what all the wonderful people who have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic , often risking their lives, living away from family for weeks on end, volunteering and helping where they can, are making of the fact that we could all be back to square 1 ! I really don't think that we can exspect them to give the same sort of dedication second time round!
What indeed about the poor white chap, but sadly no one will be demonstrating about Police brutality where he's concerned.

With the way people across the country have been behaving recently, it will be a miracle if there isn't a fresh wave of this virus.
How many of us will gloat..'I told you so!'?

It’s the same old story isn’t it?
Any excuse for a demonstration.
Recently it was global warming/climate change or whatever it’s called these days.

I wonder what next month’s will be about. Whatever is flavour of the month by then.

Pandemic. What pandemic?

The scenes of the poor police horse bolting in terror through the crowds after it's rider was knocked off are dreadful. Whilst I abhor the killing of George Floyd I fail to see what all the protesting or knee bending will achieve other than sending another wave of covid through the countries. I don't see anyone demonstrating about the poor white man who was knocked to the ground by the police in the US the other day and walked over as he lay bleeding on the ground from his ear! The police say he tripped so they have not taken any action - it's clear he was pushed!

Agree, lemongrove

These marches can be stopped, but there is no will in the UK to stop them, even in the face of the awful repercussions that will follow. I wonder what the medics in ICU think as they watch these proceedings unfold. The French would have stopped them, water cannons or whatever it took would be their mantra. No wonder the world watches with horror. I wouldn’t be surprised if European countries that were looking forward to welcoming British visitors later this summer decide that they can live without British patronage after all. Which country would be stupid enough to risk starting the pandemic off again just because the British are too stupid to flatten their curve effectively.

It’s a difficult one for the police, stop it happening ( really? What, use water cannon on black protesters)you cannot stop thousands from gathering if that is their will, not without violence.
There are those who genuinely want to protest at what happened ( and similar things happen in many countries) and those who find a protest march exciting, and those who are only too ready to be violent and do a bit of light looting whilst they are at it, or set things on fire.
It doesn’t seem to occur to them that with so many in the crowds, the virus will have a field day.Maybe not with them,
Young and healthy but with their parents or anyone older they come in contact with.

Throwing bricks at Police Horses? Breaking the COVID rules? Just another day for our Marxist/Socialist/Liberal citizens.

Nightsky2. Oh no, not another one ! Of course Cheltenham should never have gone ahead,but then neither should have Extinction Rebellion,but imagine the outcry if that had been stopped and Greta's wise words had been cancelled!! Another riot?!!!

Nightsky
You are right. If the authorities acted as they should have done to ensure that these dangerous protests didn’t take place, they would have faced the inevitable cries of racism. What a shame that fear of being called racist allows behaviour to go ahead that will cause the deaths of not one, but many people.

Really heartening photo Oopsminty. There is hope! This is the trouble though, protest rallies are often a magnet for trouble makers and vandals. Wrecking peoples property, defacing monuments and attacking Police Officers and other officials is pointless and deeply upsetting.

Whitewavemark2.
Up to 4000 people are marching in Bristol tomorrow so the R rate will most likely go up and I know who I’ll be blaming and it certainly won’t be DCs.
Our police force cannot be seen to be racist so will turn a bling eye like they did in London today, shame on them.
This will be the 3rd march in 3 days, absolutely disgraceful.

I hate to think of what the virus count will be.

It's getting a bit strained in London now. I've no idea what the police are supposed to do about it. There's too many people.

Very touching photo here of an injured policeman being dragged to safety by a young black man and white woman.

I thought it was just very strange that people had mostly tried to follow the lockdown rules and yet seemed to abandon everything when on the rally. There is nothing wrong with saying All Lives Matter in relation to the virus that does not care whose life it destroys. Yes, that number of people in general mixing very close together can be blamed for a spike in the country’s virus rates especially as they actually come from all over the country. I feel sad when a protest
is trying to peacefully make a point but with social media attracts the troublemakers and vandals. What has smashing shop windows and often stealing goods or vandalising special monuments, for example, got to do with the point being made on the protest marches ?

Again I agree with you maddyone. It is self defeating when it could cause so much more misery. However much you wear masks and gloves they only afford limited protection and it is just not a safe thing to do. Those of us who have religiously obeyed lockdown often with underlying medical problems, who can't get a much needed dentist appointment,and clearly won't for months, those who are waiting for referrals or treatment for serious illness,and many others with equally pressing personal demands just dread the thought of going back into complete lockdown which it would seem, is what we are heading for. Really worrying and depressing.

It’s going to go one of two ways when we ‘come out’. There’ll either be another peak, or, it will have fizzled out because we’ve all had it. We’ve got to start somewhere, and it’s happened naturally over the passion people feel about the tragedy of this poor man.

I'm sure he would under normal circumstances as could anyone, perhaps he failed to understand that these are not normal circumstances. No,I think its a Western Rally! Putin must be rubbing his hands, and as for the Chinese!!!!! It's a gift!!

I'm all for peaceful protest, and there are some.
Unfortunately there are people who aren't peaceful, and aren't following the distancing rules.

Thank you for agreeing Jabberwok.
These protesters care absolutely nothing for black people’s lives, or anyone else’s lives for that matter. BAME people are at a particular disadvantage with Covid19, and we don’t yet know why. But all these absolute idiots think it’s okay to endanger everyone with this ridiculous protest, about something that happened in America. I think they’re despicable! Selfish, selfish, selfish behaviour! God knows what the rest of the world thinks when we have the highest deaths in Europe, and our pathetic authorities refuse to prevent this dangerous protest. I’m very angry about this.

I suggest you try addressing the issues that the protesters are trying to be heard rather than this nonsense of gaslighting. “Don’t look there - look here”

* There have been huge rallies all over the world USA France all over Europe Australia the aborigines are finding a voice Canada Ireland Netherlands were absolutely crammed everywhere....... it’s a global rally It can’t be stopped*

Good point, Bluebelle

But I'm guessing that some posters will think that's all our government's fault as well!