Crowds gather across the UK to protest against George Floyd death and in support of Black Lives Matter movement

Hundreds have gathered in Trafalgar Square in London. Credit: Twitter/Benny Hunter

Thousands of people have gathered in London, Manchester and Cardiff to show solidarity with protesters in the US who are demonstrating following the death of a man during an arrest.

At 1pm, those gathered knelt in tribute to George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis on Monday after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes while arresting him.

Those unable to attend the Black Lives Matter demonstration were urged to kneel in solidarity wherever they could.

Derek Chauvin, who was sacked along with three other officers following the incident has been charged with murdering Mr Floyd, 46, and is due to appear in court on Monday.

George Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck. Credit: Twitter/@AttorneyCrump

Protesters in Trafalgar Square could be heard chanting "black lives matter", in reference to the campaigning civil rights group.

Others held up placards saying "Racism has no place" and "I can't breathe" - words Mr Floyd told the police officer who was restraining him.

The protesters then left Trafalgar Square and walked to the gates of Downing Street to continue with their protest, while others walked to the American Embassy in Battersea where they staged a sit-in on the road.

  • ITV News Correspondent Martha Fairlie explains the latest situation from the US Embassy

Police confirmed they made five arrests out the US Embassy on Sunday.“Three arrests were for breaches of Covid legislation and two were for assault on police," the Metropolitan Police said.

Protesters also marched to Grenfell Tower in north London.

One marcher wrote "Black Lives Matter" on the memorial at the base of the tower block, as others watched on in silence before applauding as they finished.

More protests in the capital are scheduled for the coming week.

While in Wales, protesters gathered outside Cardiff Castle.

  • Protesters outside Cardiff Castle

Reverend Sally Hitchiner, associate vicar at St Martin-in-the-Fields church on Trafalgar Square, said she could see hundreds gathered for the protest from her workplace.

The 40-year-old said: “I’m very sympathetic to the issue but also surprised to see the strength of emotion that has gathered people together.

“It’s showing there are people in the UK who care passionately about the situation in the US.

“Clearly they’re not following lockdown and social distancing, but I think there’s a huge amount of passion there and that’s overriding their concerns.

“It’s an issue that requires passion but at the same time there’s a huge amount of risk in what they’re doing.”

She said police appeared to be moving the crowd on from the square by early afternoon.

Hundreds gathered in Manchester, where they marched down Market Street, St Ann's Square and Peter Street with placards.

Earlier on Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said video footage of Mr Floyd’s death was “very distressing”, but he would not comment on President Donald Trump’s response to the widespread protests sparked by the killing.

Following Mr Floyd's death, protests began in Minneapolis and have spread to cities across America.

The demonstrations have morphed into wider anger over police killings of black men.

In Washington DC, two protesters told ITV News they were demonstrating about "racism, hypocrisy, dividedness" and "racial inequality" in the US.

Governors in several US states called in National Guard troops as protests intensified on Saturday.

Many protests were peaceful, but violence erupted at others, leading to the mayors of many US cities bringing in curfews.

In Washington, President Donald Trump sent tweets ridiculing protesters outside the White House who were among thousands nationwide incited by the death of Mr Floyd, who died after a policeman pressed his knee onto his neck for more than eight minutes.

The demonstrations have become a national phenomenon, with protesters decrying years of deaths at police hands.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood District, the site of a 1921 massacre of black people that left some 300 dead, protesters blocked intersections and chanted the name of Terence Crutcher, a black man killed by a police officer in 2016.

Other peaceful protests were being held in California, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.