- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in a new window)
- Click to email a friend (Opens in a new window)
London (CNN) - The black man who was seen carrying an injured white man to safety during a chaotic scene at the protests in London this Saturday told CNN that he did it to avoid a catastrophe.
The image of Patrick Hutchinson's selfless act has spread across the globe. Hutchinson told CNN this Sunday that it was the first Black Lives Matter protest he attended, and he helped the white man because he did not want the main reason for the protests to be lost in a moment of violence.
Protesters in London and around the world have taken to the streets calling for police reform after the death of black people at the hands of the police. These more recent deaths include George Floyd in Minneapolis and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta.
"My real focus was to avoid a catastrophe, suddenly the narrative changes to 'Black Lives Matters, young people kill protesters.' That was the message we were trying to avoid, "said Hutchinson.
LOOK: Marcelo joins the protests against racism in the victory of Real Madrid
Hutchinson told CNN that he initially saw the man lying on a staircase in a fetal position surrounded by protesters.
At the time, he said it didn't occur to him that the man could be a counter-protester or prejudiced, but that he was trying to get him out safely.
More than 100 people were arrested in the London protests this Saturday after violence erupted when far-right groups attacked the BLM protests. CNN has not been able to independently verify what the injured man was doing in the protest prior to the incident or why he was there. CNN has not yet been able to identify the injured protester.
When Hutchinson saw the man, he said that he and his friends formed a cord around him and Hutchinson picked him up to take him directly to the police. As they marched, the man could still feel people trying to hit him, Hutchinson said.
"I am carrying it, my friends are protecting me and the man on my shoulder. He was still getting hit, you could feel people trying to hit him, ”he said. "There were people trying to protect him while I was taking him to the police and I said here you are. One of them said 'thank you, you did something good there.' ”
Hutchinson attended the protests Saturday because "the story was in progress," he said, and it was "obvious" to support the cause. He added that he would like to break down racial barriers and make people realize that "we are all one race."
LOOK: Atlanta police officer shoots black man at fast food restaurant, authorities say
"I want to see equality for everyone. I am a father, a grandfather, and I would love to see my young children, my little grandchildren, my nieces, and my nephews have a better world than I have lived in, ”said Hutchinson. "The world I live in has been better than my grandparents and parents and I hope we can continue until we have full equality for all."
CNN's Emma Reynolds, Simon Cullen and Max Ramsay contributed to this report.
ProtestsRacism