THOUSANDS of protesters ignored lockdown rules across London to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Floyd died after a policeman, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for over five minutes, with the event being filmed by witnesses.

Those marching descended on Trafalgar Square and the US embassy near Battersea carrying signs that read “No justice, No peace”, “Black lives matter”, and “White silence is compliance”.

Hundreds also marched through Manchester city centre, and a protest has been planned in front of the City Chambers in Glasgow at 2pm on Sunday June 7.

Curfews and restrictions have been brought in in at least 25 American cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, after protests at Floyd’s death there continued to spread. Benjamin Crump, a lawyer representing Floyd’s family, yesterday accused Chauvin of “premeditated murder”. He criticised the decision to charge Chauvin with only first-degree murder.

“We think that he had intent ... almost nine minutes he kept his knee in a man’s neck who was begging and pleading for breath,” he said. Officer Chauvin kept his knee on his neck for almost three minutes after he was unconscious. We don’t understand how that was not first-degree murder.”

The other three officers present at Floyd’s death have been sacked, but have not yet been arrested.