The situation has now largely calmed down, but a large number of protesters and officers in riot gear are still at the scene.
Video, source: Facebook, Sputnik
Violence has erupted in London after a group of Black Lives Matter protesters clashed with the police – with bottles thrown and mounted officers charging down Whitehall.
It came after a largely peaceful day of demonstrations against racism across the UK following the killing of George Floyd in the US.
Sky News correspondent Mark White was at the scene on Whitehall – near Downing Street and The Cenotaph.
He said the atmosphere had started to shift in the area, where around 400 to 500 people had gathered, and then “just after the thunderstorm… the crowd started throwing bottles and other objects at the police”.
One officer was knocked off their horse after riding into a traffic light – with the horse bolting off down the street – and a flare was also thrown.
Some protesters had knelt down with their hands up as police attempted to push the crowd down Whitehall.
The situation has now largely calmed down, but a large number of protesters and officers in riot gear are still at the scene.
Sky’s correspondent said police had been trying to mount “as low-key a policing operation as possible… but obviously they’re not going to stick with that approach if their officers are coming under attack”.
One protester told Sky News he was angry some of the protesters had turned to violence, saying “the meaning’s become lost”,
The man said: “People are here, throwing bottles, doing all sorts of things, that is eventually going to tarnish why we’re here. It’s going to make us look like the bad people here.”
Saturday’s demonstrations against racism were largely peaceful and saw thousands take to the streets of cities including London, Manchester, Cardiff, Luton, Leicester and Bath.
In the US meanwhile, a memorial service for George Floyd is under way in North Carolina, where he was born.
Police in Washington DC are also preparing for what is expected to be the biggest protest there so far.
The 46-year-old died on 25 May after a police officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes – despite him repeatedly pleading that he couldn’t breathe.
Spuntnik / Sky News / Balkantimes.press
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