At least 23 police officers injured during Black Lives Matter protests in London

The death of George Floyd at the hands of police last month in Minneapolis has sparked nationwide protests for police reform

At least 23 police officers were injured in past several days during ongoing protests against racism and police brutality in London sparked by George Floyd’s murder in US’ Minneapolis city in late May, Jo Edwards, a police superintendent, said.

Demonstrators get a supportive wave from a resident on E. Clay Street in Collinsville during a Black Lives Matter peace march for justice. (AP)

Thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and calls by the authorities to refrain from gathering to avoid a sharp increase in infections.

“We understand peoples’ passion to come and let their voice be heard, they protested largely without incident. Our officers have been professional and very restrained but there was a smaller group intent on violence towards police officers. Twenty-three officers have received injuries, doing their job, policing protest over the last few days, and that is totally unacceptable,” Edwards said, as quoted by a statement published on the London Metropolitan Police’s website.

According to Edwards, 10 policemen were wounded and 14 people were detained during Saturday’s marches alone.

The death of Floyd on May 25 has sparked a worldwide movement against police brutality, racism and social injustice, as a video showing a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Floyd’s neck after the latter had been arrested was widely circulated online on the next day. Apart from the United States, mass protests have taken place in Greece, Italy the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, France, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and other countries.