Protests in Britain against racial discrimination have been "undermined" by thugs, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday, warning that those responsible for the outbursts will be held accountable. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London for a second consecutive day on Sunday to denounce police violence after the death of an African-American man, George Floyd, during his arrest by the police in Minneapolis, in the States -United.
The rally in the English capital took place in calm, but ended in scuffles between a small number of individuals and officers of the mounted police, near the residence of the Prime Minister in Downing Street. Twenty-seven police officers were injured in "shocking and completely unacceptable" attacks during anti-racism protests in the past week, said London police chief Cressida Dick.
Authorities called on protesters not to regroup in London on Sunday, citing the risks of the spread of the coronavirus. But protesters gathered again on a street leading to the U.S. Embassy, near the Thames. "People have the right to peaceful protest and respect for social distancing, but they do not have the right to attack the police," said Boris Johnson on Twitter. "These protests were undermined by thugs - and it is a betrayal of the cause they aim to serve. Those responsible will have to be accountable, ” he added.