AP PHOTOS: Huge crowds worldwide in name of racial justice
AP PHOTOS: Huge crowds worldwide in name of racial justice
A man raises his fist as people gather in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to protest against the recent death of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, that has led to protests in many countries and across the US. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Demonstrators protest Saturday, June 6, 2020, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A protester holds a sign that reads “kill, it is being filmed” in Marseille, southern France, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to protest against the death of George Floyd, who died after he was restrained by police officers May 25 in Minneapolis, that has led to global protests. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Protesters gather in Sydney, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to support the cause of U.S. protests over the death of George Floyd. Black Lives Matter protests across Australia proceeded mostly peacefully as thousands of demonstrators in state capitals honored the memory of Floyd and protested the deaths of indigenous Australians in custody. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Thousands of people demonstrate in Cologne, Germany, Saturday June 6, 2020, to protest against racism and the death of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Hundreds of demonstrators gather on the Champs de Mars as the Eiffel Tower is seen in the background during a demonstration in Paris, France, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to protest against the recent killing of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis, U.S.A., after being restrained by police officers on May 25, 2020. Further protests are planned over the weekend in European cities, some defying restrictions imposed by authorities because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
People gather calling for justice for George Floyd in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo square, Sunday, June 7, 2020. Floyd died May 25 after being restrained by police in Minneapolis. (Roberto Monaldo/LaPresse via AP)
Protesters and activists walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, Saturday, June 6, 2020, in New York. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Protesters hold placards as they gather in central Brussels during the Black Lives Matter protest rally, Sunday, June 7, 2020. The demonstration was held in response to the recent death of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, which has led to protests in many countries and across the US. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
People gather in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2020, during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Protesters gather in Parliament Square during the Black Lives Matter protest rally in Whitehall, London, in memory of George Floyd who was killed on May 25 while in police custody in the U.S. city of Minneapolis. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
A man raises his fist as people gather in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to protest against the recent death of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, that has led to protests in many countries and across the US. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A man raises his fist as people gather in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to protest against the recent death of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, that has led to protests in many countries and across the US. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Demonstrators protest Saturday, June 6, 2020, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Demonstrators protest Saturday, June 6, 2020, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A protester holds a sign that reads “kill, it is being filmed” in Marseille, southern France, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to protest against the death of George Floyd, who died after he was restrained by police officers May 25 in Minneapolis, that has led to global protests. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A protester holds a sign that reads “kill, it is being filmed” in Marseille, southern France, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to protest against the death of George Floyd, who died after he was restrained by police officers May 25 in Minneapolis, that has led to global protests. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Protesters gather in Sydney, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to support the cause of U.S. protests over the death of George Floyd. Black Lives Matter protests across Australia proceeded mostly peacefully as thousands of demonstrators in state capitals honored the memory of Floyd and protested the deaths of indigenous Australians in custody. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Protesters gather in Sydney, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to support the cause of U.S. protests over the death of George Floyd. Black Lives Matter protests across Australia proceeded mostly peacefully as thousands of demonstrators in state capitals honored the memory of Floyd and protested the deaths of indigenous Australians in custody. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Thousands of people demonstrate in Cologne, Germany, Saturday June 6, 2020, to protest against racism and the death of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Thousands of people demonstrate in Cologne, Germany, Saturday June 6, 2020, to protest against racism and the death of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Hundreds of demonstrators gather on the Champs de Mars as the Eiffel Tower is seen in the background during a demonstration in Paris, France, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to protest against the recent killing of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis, U.S.A., after being restrained by police officers on May 25, 2020. Further protests are planned over the weekend in European cities, some defying restrictions imposed by authorities because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
Hundreds of demonstrators gather on the Champs de Mars as the Eiffel Tower is seen in the background during a demonstration in Paris, France, Saturday, June 6, 2020, to protest against the recent killing of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis, U.S.A., after being restrained by police officers on May 25, 2020. Further protests are planned over the weekend in European cities, some defying restrictions imposed by authorities because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
People gather calling for justice for George Floyd in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo square, Sunday, June 7, 2020. Floyd died May 25 after being restrained by police in Minneapolis. (Roberto Monaldo/LaPresse via AP)
People gather calling for justice for George Floyd in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo square, Sunday, June 7, 2020. Floyd died May 25 after being restrained by police in Minneapolis. (Roberto Monaldo/LaPresse via AP)
Protesters and activists walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, Saturday, June 6, 2020, in New York. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Protesters and activists walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, Saturday, June 6, 2020, in New York. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Protesters hold placards as they gather in central Brussels during the Black Lives Matter protest rally, Sunday, June 7, 2020. The demonstration was held in response to the recent death of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, which has led to protests in many countries and across the US. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
Protesters hold placards as they gather in central Brussels during the Black Lives Matter protest rally, Sunday, June 7, 2020. The demonstration was held in response to the recent death of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, which has led to protests in many countries and across the US. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
People gather in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2020, during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People gather in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2020, during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Protesters gather in Parliament Square during the Black Lives Matter protest rally in Whitehall, London, in memory of George Floyd who was killed on May 25 while in police custody in the U.S. city of Minneapolis. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
Protesters gather in Parliament Square during the Black Lives Matter protest rally in Whitehall, London, in memory of George Floyd who was killed on May 25 while in police custody in the U.S. city of Minneapolis. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
All weekend, the crowds did not let up.
From New York to Paris to Sydney, thousands upon thousands of mostly peaceful protesters demanding an end to institutional racism took over plazas, avenues and squares around the world.
In Australia, crowds of demonstrators in state capitals honored the memory of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who was killed two weeks ago by a white police officer, and protested the deaths of indigenous Australians in custody.
In the southern French city of Marseille, protesters held up signs that read, “kill, it is being filmed,” in a reference to Floyd’s last moments, which were caught on video, and “I’m not black but will fight for you.”
And so in Rome, London, Barcelona, Berlin.
In a sequence of events that horrified people everywhere, Floyd died after a white Minneapolis officer who had him handcuffed and lying on the ground pressed a knee on his neck for several minutes, including after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air.
In the United States, calls to “defund the police” have become rallying cries for many. And a heavy-handed response to demonstrations in many places has underscored what critics have maintained: Law enforcement is militarized and too often uses excessive force.
