Large crowds in Belfast join Black Lives Matter protests
Large crowds of people chanting “I can’t breathe” and “No justice, no peace” have gathered outside Belfast City Hall to protest over the death of George Floyd in the US.
The 46-year-old black man died in police custody in Minneapolis last month.
Video footage showed him face down on the ground with his arms behind his back and a white officer’s knee on his neck for almost nine minutes.
Mr Floyd repeatedly pleaded with police, saying: “Please, please, please, I can’t breathe. Please, man.”
The officer, 44-year-old Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
He and three others have been fired, but many want Chauvin to face more serious charges and for more action to be taken against the other officers involved.
Demonstrations in the US have at times descended into chaos, turning to violence and rioting, with cities burning while curfews had to be imposed.
At one point, President Donald Trump was rushed to a White House bunker by Secret Service agents as hundreds of protestors gathered outside.
A vigil was held at Writers’ Square in Belfast on Sunday night, while a small protest was held on Monday at City Hall.
However, Wednesday’s event saw much larger crowds gather as the movement for change gathers steam around the globe.
Thousands of people packed Donegall Place as various speakers sang and chanted for more than an hour.
It comes a day after people around the world blacked out their social media accounts to show solidarity with the black community and provide space to amplify their voices.
A new mural is also underway at the International Wall of Murals on Belfast’s Falls Road.
It highlights the death of George Floyd and supporting the Black Lives Matter campaign.
In Londonderry, a book of condolence has been opened for George Floyd – online to provide a safe way for people to express their condolences.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane Brian Tierney said he believed it was “important we all take a stand and show out solidarity”.
He added: “By signing the online book of condolence, we can collectively register a peaceful and united protest against all forms of racism and make our voice heard in a safe way and join in the calls for justice for George Floyd.”
Meanwhile, the mother of George Floyd’s six-year-old daughter Gianna has told a press conference she wants justice for his death.
Speaking about the officers involved, Roxie Washington said: “At the end of the day, they get to go home and be with their families.”
She added that Gianna’s father “will never see her grow up, graduate, he will never walk her down the aisle - if there's a problem she's having and she needs her dad, she does not have that anymore.
“I’m here for my baby and I’m here for George. I want justice for him because he was good. No matter what anybody thinks, he was good.”