to feel a little less in favour of equal rights this am.

The reasons for the protests are eminently valid but, at a time like this, gathering in large groups is care less (deliberately 2 words).

I'm sure that, with modern communications, some safer and possibly more effective way of protesting could have been found.

When so many of us have been extremely cautious for the last few weeks, for our own safety and that of others, it is galling when people flout the rules for whatever reason.

With social media at everyone's fingertips (literally), there really is no need for any sort of street demonstration. I wonder how many of those taking part are genuinely concerned about the issue or are just taking the opportunity to cause civil unrest?

I think a lot of people believed the race issue had been put to bed in the US,and discovered that wasn't the case.They feel cheated and angry and rightly so.The demonstrations are not the wisest option but when people are angry "" often disappears off the page .

Its still a right to peacefully demonstrate ,.

If the right precautions were taken and everyone behaved there should have been no problems.I think the large police presence inflamed it situation and thats why it all went wrong.
We should remember that black and ethnic communities are still treated like second class citizens in parts of the UK too often by the police.I was disappointed by the outcome yesterday and I am worried about todays rallies in Scotland.
Thankfully the FM realises people WILL congregate despite her asking them not to and she has had the organisers change the venue so that social distancing can be observed .We'll have to wait and see .

"SENSE" often disappears off the page

What a weird approach. You only agree with equality if people behave in the way you think they should behave.

Nothing we do here in the U.K. will affect what happens in the USA.
Personally I agree with Grizelda.

I think the large police presence inflamed it situation and thats why it all went wrong

I read demonstrators were throwing bicycles at the mounted police paddyann
?

One horse reared, threw the woman rider, she was injured in the process and the horse bolted into the crowed, badly injuring another woman.

Similar thought to you ladymuck. I actually looked up who George Floyd was and he was a criminal. Nowhere do our papers tell us that and especially not the BBC, and one black columnist in America came out to say criminals should not be made heroes.
Additionally he was a large man, was on drugs, and out of work bouncer. Which is perhaps why 3 policemen needed to detain him. It does not however excuse the excessive force which resulted in them killing him. That can never be right.
Also no one mentions the black policeman killed by the so called protesters whilst trying to protect his sister’s shop.

Is someone deliberately stirring up this unrest just at a time when we really need people to observe safe guarding for everyone’s sake whatever their colour, race, or religion? Someone has to be organising and sending out the messages on social media.

The protests in the USA were clearly about looting otherwise why do it ? People had a field day and it wasn't just food ! This kind of behaviour never addresses any issues, in fact it has the opposite effect when it's committed .

When there have been large protests the end results have often as not involved the EXCUSE to steal. I'm afraid this, to me, is a sickening act which incurs thousands being spent to repair constructions and replace stock therefore forcing up prices of goods. It's people's livelihoods too, probably families of those who were doing the protesting !

Fortunately here, it was in a park away from shops and in controlled areas elsewhere.

I remember the riots of years ago and could have cried at the amount of devastation they caused by looting, it was disgusting acting like animals and were allowed to continue stealing.
I'm not sure but I think this emanated from police killing an unarmed ? black.

I saw some of that urmston.

There was a big demo in Leicester but I havent heard of any troyble. I have seen pictures of kots of streets full of people socially distanced 'taking the knee'. I was proud of my City and i very often am. I do wonder if they all managed to come and go safely though.

Rosalyn69 you are probably right but global demonstrations will at least bring it to the attention of the vile administration in the US that their method of policing leaves a lot to be deired and needs to be completely changed ,Killing people on the streets is wrong.The police should be public servants not judge ,jury and hangman all in one

I cannot understand anyone refusing to get out of their car when asked to do so by the police. Whatever their colour.
Sorry.

Nowhere do our papers tell us that and especially not the BBC, and one black columnist in America came out to say criminals should not be made heroes.

Actually it was in the Mail, days ago. I know the Mail can raise the hackles of many but just wanted it be known that George's criminal history had been discussed in the paper.

He'd not been in any trouble for 10 years. Until this $20 dollar note thing

There is no way the police knew of this man's history

His criminal past has no bearing on what happened to him

We watched a policeman killing a man, using his knee. Two other policeman who were out of sight of the main clip were kneeling on his back and legs.

This is not a time for pointing out Floyd's crimes

It's a time to be horrified at what we've witnessed

If he had stayed in the car he would still be alive.

I would definitely not want to get out of the car.

* I cannot understand anyone refusing to get out of their car when asked to do so by the police. Whatever their colour.
Sorry.*

He did get out of the car. They asked him to show his hands, which he did by placing them on the steering wheel, then pulled him out.

There was no resistance then

Why would you want to get out of a car to face a police man with a history of violence.

Those of us over a certain age should be forming our own protests about the number of people who are obviously prepared to infect the whole country!

Lockdown has been a farce !

I usually think my own thought but stay off these threads but have to agree with * Oopsminty*.
What he was or has been, should not have any bearing on what happened to him.
Human life is getting very cheap.
Excessive force was used with no excuse.
However it also is no excuse for rioting and looting.
I am sad to say this was inevitable, any excuse will do.

AFAIK there have been plenty of peaceful, socially-distanced protests. My dd and SiL attended one with their 5 month old baby.

IMO there’s a certain element who will attend a protest for anything - they don’t much care what - who actively seek confrontation with police and the opportunity to behave like thugs.

And America are going to take notice of demo’s in the U.K.

I was incensed at seeing a bicycle thrown at that poor horse, a helpless animal terrified by a mindless thug and others like him and now a WPC seriously injured in hospital.

Protests have been banned before so I fail to understand why, especially during a time when Westminster’s guidelines were to only meet up with six people this was allowed to take place.
The NHS staff who put there own lives at risk and may now have to treat and care for those who took part in this massive crowd must wonder why they bother ?

Many of us feel the same anger at police treatment in America
and the blatant racism black people have to endure but a gathering of large crowds at the present time is not the way to show support.

None of these types of protest should have been allowed to take place resulting in putting more lives at risk.

I still maintain the USA will not take any notice of the U.K. protests. Would we if it was the other way round?
And would there have been the same outcry if this had been a white man?
George Floyd is not a hero or a martyr. Let’s not make him one.

I uphold the right to peaceful demonstration wholeheartedly. I saw that at the beginning of the demonstration those there were keeping to social distancing and treating the occasion with the solemnity it deserved. Obviously the crowds grew, and in anticipation of this there really was no choice other than to have a large police presence. One of the sad reasons for this was probably that such occasions historically attract rent-a-mob who are there to have a fun afternoon out, sometimes ending in chaos. This distracts from the genuine reason for the demonstration and must be very frustrating for those who are making a stand for their beliefs. Last night there were some injuries, how many depends on which newspaper/tv station you follow. How does this effect me in North Wales? Well, I think what happened in America was disgraceful, I understand and sympathise with those who supported it, BUT, I belong to the very high risk sheltered group who have just been informed by the First Minister that our Very restricted lockdown is to last until mid-August. I am quite prepared for this, but the stupidity of people, shoulder to shoulder spreading infection could well mean that the virus spreads further, we have another peak, and it goes on and on. This may sound a selfish point of view, but I truly have nothing at all against any ethnic minority And do support the right to protest.....safely.