Black Lives Matter Protests Go Global, From Ireland to South Africa
— -- America’s Black Lives Matter movement has jumped continents in the wake of recent fatal police shootings of black men in the United States.
From Europe to Africa, people around the world are marching in solidarity for America’s grassroots campaign for racial justice and against excessive use of force by police, following the officer-involved shootings of two black men last week whose final moments were captured in shocking video footage that went viral online.
Alton Sterling, 37, was shot and killed by white police officers while being held on the ground outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 5. A day later, 32-year-old Philando Castile was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.
In Ireland, hundreds of people gathered on Tuesday for protest rallies in Cork, Dublin and Galway.
In London, people showed up for rallies in the British capital over the weekend to show their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States.
In Amsterdam, hundreds gathered at Dam Square on Sunday wearing signs on their backs that read, “Don’t shoot -- I’m Trayvon Martin,” in reference to the 2012 fatal shooting of a black teen by George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter three years ago today.
In Berlin, protesters staged a "die-in" at Potsdamer Platz on Sunday and read aloud a list of the names of the black men and women killed by police in the United States.
In Cape Town, South Africa, dozens of members from the Black Solidarity Action group marched on the U.S. consulate this morning to denounce the officer-involved killings of black Americans. They held signs that read “Black Lives Matter globally,” “stop killing blacks” and “black pride,” among other messages.
The demonstrations in Europe and Africa come after thousands have protested across the United States.
