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UK Black Lives Matter protests live: Oxford demo to target Rhodes statue Live coverage and reaction from around the UK as Oxford demonstration against Cecil Rhodes statue expected this evening‘I hear you’: Boris Johnson to Black Lives Matter protestersSadiq Khan orders review of all London statues for slavery linksAre you taking part in UK protests?US protests continue as George Floyd funeral takes place – live updates 12.05pm BSTA number of NHS trusts, which are responsible for hospitals and GPs’ practices, are holding a minute’s silence at midday in solidarity against racism: In partnership with a number of Trusts nationwide, we will be holding a minute’s silence at 12noon today to call for a moment of solidarity against racism and to acknowledge th...

George Floyd: Funeral to take place as calls for police reform continue - live Private family ceremony for Floyd due to take place in Houston on Tuesday Protesters attacked by cars driven into crowds and men with gunsBiden states opposition to defunding policeNew York police budget to be cut as debate rages over reformsSign up to our First Thing newsletter 12.33pm BSTLawrence Douglas has written for us today about something that may have escaped your attention with all the news that has been around in the last few days - Trump’s former personal lawyer, John Dowd, describing citizens engaging in peaceable protest as “terrorists”.Trump’s presidency has largely inured us to overheated rhetoric. We’ve grown accustomed to Trump and his allies vilifying journalis...

Protesters across US attacked by cars driven into crowds and men with guns Protesters confronted by armed men – including members of the so-called ‘boogaloo movement’ – in different parts of AmericaAnti police-brutality protesters have been confronted by armed men in cities around America in recent days, with some brandishing firearms or other weapons, some driving vehicles at crowds, and others – including members of the so-called “boogaloo movement” – claiming they have come to help anti-racism demonstrations. Related: Rightwing vigilantes on armed patrol after fake rumours of antifa threat Continue reading... Go to Source

Roma boy 'kicked in face' highlights French police brutality claims Interior minister says he does not understand officers’ version of events There are growing calls for justice from the families of two alleged victims of police violence in France including a 14-year-old Roma boy left with severe facial injuries after his arrest.Christophe Castaner, the French interior minister, has said the case of Gabriel Djordjevic, who sustained a fracture to his eye socket and four broken teeth after he claimed he was kicked by a police officer, was “troubling”. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: excess deaths associated with Covid crisis now at around 64,000, says ONS Latest news: union says most teachers concerned about safety; Tory MP says not sending all primary school children back risks life chancesPlans to reopen English primary schools in disarrayMinisters face legal challenge for refusal to order PPE inquiryGlobal coronavirus updates - liveUK Black Lives Matter protests – live 12.46pm BSTA total of 2,422 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by seven from 2,415 on Monday, the Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said at her daily briefing. This is the first rise in deaths in Scotland since Saturday.Sturgeon said said 15,653 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 14 from 15,639 the da...

George Floyd killing: judge sets $1m bail for ex-officer Derek Chauvin Court hearing comes as Floyd’s family prepares to bury him in Houston, where he spent most of his lifeGeorge Floyd killing – latest US updatesA judge has set bail at $1.25m for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who has been charged with second-degree murder in connection to the killing of George Floyd.Chauvin, 44, appeared in court by video link on Monday to face charges of murder and manslaughter after he was filmed kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, despite his cries of “I can’t breathe.” Continue reading... Go to Source

'I hear you': Boris Johnson to Black Lives Matter protesters Prime minister acknowledges ‘feeling of injustice’ but warns of enforcement and virus riskWhat Floyd protests have achieved in just two weeksLondon mayor seeks to defuse tensionsBoris Johnson has responded to the Black Lives Matter protests with an article acknowledging the “incontrovertible, undeniable feeling of injustice” motivating the rallies, while condemning those who have flouted social distancing to attend them during a “time of national trial”.The prime minister used the piece in The Voice, and a subsequent video in which he read the text aloud, to set out his response to the protests that saw the statue of slave trader Edward Colston torn down in Bristol and resulted in more than ...

NHS blood unit systematically racist, internal report finds Large London site ‘toxic’ and ‘dysfunctional’ with promotion ‘based on race and class’A large unit within the NHS’s blood and organ transplant division has been found to be “systematically racist” and “psychologically unsafe”, according to an internal investigation into working conditions that was leaked to the Guardian.The report will raise renewed concern about discriminatory practices across the NHS, following allegations last week from the Royal College of Nursing that nurses routinely faced “structural racism”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Japan's public broadcaster condemned over 'offensive' BLM anime Social media users have condemned the video for perpetuating stereotypes of African-AmericansJapan’s public broadcaster, NHK, has come under fire after its attempt to explain the Black Lives Matter movement in anime form was condemned as offensive and misleading.The animated clip features black men and women standing on a burned-out street with their fists raised, while an African-American man explains, to musical accompaniment, the cause of the protests that have rocked dozens of US cities over the past two weeks. Continue reading... Go to Source

Plans to reopen English primary schools before summer in disarray Government sources acknowledge practicalities too difficult for all children to returnCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePlans to push ahead with reopening schools in England are in disarray, after the government admitted that not all primary school pupils will be able to return to the classroom before the end of summer.Boris Johnson last month said his aim was “to get primary pupils back into schools, in stages,” as he announced the opening of primary schools to pupils in reception, year one and year six from 1 June. Continue reading... Go to Source

George Floyd protests: Minneapolis city council to abolish police department as calls for defunding sweep US Floyd’s body has been flown to his hometown of Houston, Texas, where mourners will be able to view his casket todayMinneapolis lawmakers vow to disband police departmentPolice arrested over 10,000 protesters, many non-violentWhat does ‘defund the police’ mean?Who was Edward Colston and why was his Bristol statue toppled? 12.35pm BSTI’ve been contacted by a reader who said they grew up near the city of Vidor, in east Texas. He wanted to alert me to a Black Lives Matter protest there on Saturday that consisted of just around 150 people. But it is significant, the reader said, because of Vidor’s reputation.Here’s an excerpt from the Texas Monthly ...

UK politics live: Starmer says Colston statue should have been removed, but pulling it down 'completely wrong' Follow the latest on the aftermath of Black Lives Matter protests and other politics in the UK Ministers face backlash after claiming Britain is not racistKeir Starmer’s LBC phone-in: summary and analysisUK coronavirus updates – liveUS protests updates – live 12.35pm BSTIn an interview with Emma Barnett on Radio 5 Live the former Labour cabinet minister Lord Mandelson said that the police should arrest those responsible for bringing down the Edward Colston statue in Bristol. What happened amounted to “mob rule”, he implied. He told the programme:Personally I’m not going to shed a tear for that statue. Personally I regard the history surroundi...

John Boyega expresses thanks for Black Lives Matter support Star Wars actor responds on social media following his impassioned speech at an anti-racism rally in London last weekStar Wars actor John Boyega has expressed his thanks for the “love and support” he received after his high-profile intervention in the Black Lives Matter protests.In a post on social media, Boyega wrote: “This is an intense time for our community, and the most important thing is for us to maintain momentum and not lose sight of how critical it is to pursue long-term solutions and commitments, for the sake of our generation, and the next.” Continue reading... Go to Source

‘They set us up’: US police arrested over 10,000 protesters, many non-violent Over 10,000 people have been arrested around the US, as police regularly use pepper spray, rubber bullets, teargas and batonsGeorge Floyd killing – latest US updatesSee all our George Floyd coverageSince George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 25 May, around 140 cities in all 50 states throughout the US have seen protests and demonstrations in response to the killing.  Related: Protests about police brutality are met with wave of police brutality across US Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Scotland records no Covid deaths for second day; quarantine rules come into force Follow all the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic response What are the UK’s new quarantine rules?Pub gardens in England could reopen from 22 June – reportsCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.38pm BSTNicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has announced that no one has been recorded to have died in Scotland from confirmed Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, for the second day running.Sturgeon said this was very welcome news but cautioned against assuming the crisis was over. That result only included people with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases, but it meant the total deaths by that measure remained at 2,415. 12.36p...

Ministers face backlash after claiming Britain is not racist Black MPs and campaigners hit out after attempt to downplay Black Lives Matter protestsSenior black politicians and campaigners have rounded on the government for suggesting the UK is not racist and for claiming that the Black Lives Matter protests across the country are simply based on anger about prejudice in the US.David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, said it was “real ignorance” to suggest that the protesters were angry only about police brutality in the US rather than discrimination in the UK as well, while Dawn Butler, a Labour former minister, said suggestions that the protests largely related to America were a sign that the government was “again not listening and shows no commitment to resolving...

George Floyd: Barr denies police are systemically racist as protests sweep US – live Attorney general denies White House protesters were peacefulPeaceful protests sweep US as calls for racial justice reach new heightsA week that shook a nation: power of protests leaves Trump exposed‘Tearing apart America’: How friends and foes now view Trump’s rule‘George Floyd happens every day’: police killings the media forgot 6.46pm BSTEnding curfew a first step in long journey, say rights advocates.Civil rights advocates in New York City called Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to lift the 8 pm curfew “a necessary step” in a “long journey” stopping police violence, while insisting far more needed to be done for true reform. After immense pr...

BLM protesters topple statue of Bristol slave trader Edward Colston Statue that had long been a focal point of local anger rolled down to harbour and into Avon Black Lives Matters protesters in Bristol have pulled down a statue of the slave trader Edward Colston.Demonstrators attached a rope to the Grade II-listed statue on Colston Avenue on Sunday before pulling it to the ground as crowds cheered. They then jumped on it and rolled it down the street to the harbour before pushing it into the river Avon. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump reaches for Nixon playbook after protests that have rocked America Styling himself as the ‘law and order’ candidate, as Nixon did in 1968, is a re-election strategy in Trump’s comfort zoneThey were 48 minutes of mayhem that shook the republic. With a bizarre pageant of riots shields, a Bible and a designer handbag, they also represented what could be Donald Trump’s last best chance of clinging to power. Related: 'Revolting': Trump condemned for saying George Floyd is praising US economy Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus lockdown: charities raise alarm as thousands face poverty Boris Johnson refuses to support immigrants who have lost jobs and have no recourse to public fundsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCharities providing emergency food supplies to people with a limited immigration status known as “no recourse to public funds” have expressed concern at the prime minister’s refusal to offer support to a group pushed into destitution by the lockdown.Hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the UK have an immigration status that allows them to work here but prevents them from accessing most benefits should they become unemployed. Many have lost their jobs because of the Covid-19 pandemic and are struggling to feed their families and pay rent...

Hancock's claim over care homes test target disputed by Labour Health secretary says all those in care settings have had tests despite some only just arrivingCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government has claimed to have hit its target of testing all care workers and elderly residents by 6 June, even though some of the tests have just been delivered rather than completed.Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said tests have now been offered to every care home for over-65s or those with dementia, with kits delivered to nearly 9,000 settings. Continue reading... Go to Source

Peaceful protests sweep America as calls for racial justice reach new heights Hundreds of thousands took to the streets on a day that saw grief and determination punctuated by moments of levityGeorge Floyd killing – latest US updatesSee all our George Floyd coverageHundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets, in big cities and small towns, from coast to coast, marking one of the the most expansive mobilizations yet in the nationwide protests against police violence and systemic racism sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.Demonstrations, now in their second weekend, were largely peaceful – and included moments of levity and jubilance. It was a notable shift from the weekend prior, when police beat back demonstrators with force, using teargas...

‘Now is the time’: London’s Black Lives Matter rally looks like a turning point Many of those protesting about George Floyd’s death believe demands for racial justice now have a new and unstoppable urgencyGeorge Floyd killing: latest updatesIt was always likely that the months of lockdown would demand some kind of emotional catharsis. You imagined it would involve the usual British excesses of lager and sunshine. In fact, in the past week its primary expression has been a coming together of mostly young people in our cities under the banner of Black Lives Matter.On Saturday, in by far the largest of the week’s demonstrations in London, many thousands crammed shoulder to shoulder in Parliament Square in the blustery rain and edged their way forwards toward St James’s Pa...

More than 140 Zuckerberg-funded scientists call on Facebook to rein in Trump High-profile researchers urge CEO not to let president spread ‘misinformation and incendiary statements’ amid protests over racial injusticeMore than 140 scientists funded by Mark Zuckerberg have said Facebook should not be letting Donald Trump use the social media platform to “spread both misinformation and incendiary statements”.The researchers, who include more than 60 professors at leading US research institutions and one Nobel laureate, sent the Facebook CEO a letter on Saturday asking him to “consider stricter policies on misinformation and incendiary language that harms people”, especially during the current turmoil over racial injustice. Continue readin...

The George Floyd murder and Covid-19 have hurt Trump, but maybe not fatally The president’s approval ratings have dipped sharply but he could still beat BidenVoter disapproval of Donald Trump’s handling of the George Floyd protests and the Covid-19 pandemic, plus the accompanying economic meltdown, have undoubtedly hurt the president’s re-election chances.But it’s unclear whether the damage is fatal. Could Trump, despite everything, still stage a comeback and beat the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden? Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: Bolsonaro hides Brazil death figures, minister criticises Australian BLM protests – live updates Brazil cumulative cases and deaths taken offline; Black Lives Matter demonstrators ‘reckless’; UK to partially reopen churchesSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.06am BSTAustralian Associated Press has more on the concerns Victorian health authorities have about cases potentially spreading as a result of a Black Lives Matter protest yesterday in Melbourne, parts of which have had several recent cases of community transmission.The deputy chief health officer Annaliese van Diemen said on Sunday the Black Lives Matter protest in Melbourne had increased the risk for cases.“In terms of potential outbreaks related to the protest, it really will be at least a week and ...

US protests live: hundreds of thousands march against racial injustice Large crowds from coast to coast demonstrate against police killing of George FloydStates announce police reforms after controversial tacticsProtests about police brutality met with wave of police brutalityIn their own words: the protesters at the heart of America’s uprising What freedom of the press looks like in the US right now 12.42am BSTThousands of demonstrators filled the streets in San Francisco, Sacramento, Simi Valley, San Diego, Los Angeles and elsewhere across California on Saturday as the protest matches over the killing of George Floyd continued into their second week. 11.54pm BSTWashington DC mayor Muriel Bowser delivered a resounding message to Donald Trump with her endorsement of a sprawling B...

UK anti-racism protesters defy calls to avoid mass gatherings Thousands around country join Black Lives Matter protests sparked by death of George FloydThousands of anti-racism protesters have gathered across the UK, defying calls from ministers and police chiefs to avoid mass gatherings.Crowds of mostly young people on Saturday heard speeches in Parliament Square, London, declaring the beginning of the end of institutional racism, and observed a minute’s silence on one knee to commemorate black people killed by police in the UK. Continue reading... Go to Source

George Floyd killing: Washington expecting biggest march yet as mourners prepare for second memorial service – live Latest updates as the protests over the killing of George Floyd enter their second weekendStates announce police reforms after controversial tactics Protests about police brutality met with wave of police brutalityIn their own words: the protesters at the heart of America’s uprising What freedom of the press looks like in the US right now 12.52pm BSTDonald Trump promised on Twitter this week that “the United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization”.Legal experts immediately threw cold water on the proposal, arguing that there may be no means by which any domestic entity can be designated in this way. Related: What is ant...

George Floyd protests give fresh impetus to UK anti-racism campaign Thousands have taken to the streets, prompting concerns about risks of breaking lockdown rulesIt was the week that Britain’s young people stood up against racial injustice after watching the brutal killing of George Floyd, declaring in their thousands that Black Lives Matter via a succession of passionate and largely peaceful protests that show no sign of abating.The anti-racism demonstrators, overwhelmingly aged under 30, have largely been part of a movement using the LDNBLM hashtag that has no identifiable leaders and whose events are publicised via word of mouth and social media. Continue reading... Go to Source