London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025

Thousands join George Floyd protest in Birmingham

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Birmingham to protest about the death of George Floyd in US police custody.

Mr Floyd, an African-American, died on 25 May when a white police officer continued to kneel on his neck after he pleaded he could not breathe.

Thousands of people marched in London on Wednesday after the death sparked global protests against racism.

The Birmingham protest started outside the library but later moved through the city to the police's headquarters.

West Midlands Police said an estimated 4,000 people took part and there were no arrests.

"The protesters were loud and passionate, and made their voices clearly heard, but there were no arrests and no disorder," a force spokesman said.

Protest organisers UK Isn't Innocent said Britain had "a duty to stand in solidarity with the US while exposing the inner workings of racism and police brutality in the UK".

"We are tired and we have been tired for too long," lead organiser Hannah Ringane said.

"We have been taught that we won't be treated the same as everyone else, that we will be viewed as aggressors."

Carol Smith, who was among the demonstrators, said: "My grandchildren were born here, they have to have a different world to the world I have.

"They have to realise they have a right to be here, and they have a right to equality, just like everyone else who don't look like them.

"I can't give you the answer to racism. I didn't create it, people who look like me didn't create it."

Derrick Bassaragh added: "Young kids - black, white and Asian - demand parity, justice, love and equality.

"Not just for us, but changes for the world. These are the things that are demanded now."

Aston Villa and England defender Tyrone Mings - who was targeted with racist abuse while playing for his country against Bulgaria last year - indicated he would join demonstrators, urging his followers online to "stand for what's right".

People were originally due to gather in Victoria Square outside the council house, but when it became clear the numbers would be too large it was moved to Centenary Square.

Although it was billed as a stand-in demonstration, protesters moved on from the square and marched towards Lloyd House, the headquarters for West Midlands Police, shouting "justice now" and calling for an end to police brutality.

In the past month, the Independent Office for Police Conduct has begun nine investigations into West Midlands Police connected to alleged excessive use of force on black men and two officers have been suspended.

Ch Insp Sarah Tambling, from the force, said she was "really pleased with the atmosphere" at the protest in the city.


At the scene

By Phil Mackie, BBC News correspondent

Although some people have begun to leave, many more are continuing to arrive. The atmosphere has been good, with whole families coming to express their solidarity with the demonstrators.

A handful of police liaison officers have kept a respectful distance and the crowds have remained peaceful.

The younger generation in particular have made banners with clever slogans, while several older onlookers, especially from the Afro-Caribbean community, have been overcome with emotion when they see the size of the crowd.

Birmingham City Council said it supported the demonstration, but encouraged protesters to maintain social distancing.

"The city of Birmingham has a long and proud history of standing up to racism and to prejudice, and that is why today we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement," said Labour councillor and cabinet member for social inclusion John Cotton.

Four Minneapolis police officers have been charged over 46-year-old Mr Floyd 's death, including Derek Chauvin who faces a second-degree murder charge.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Unveils Sweeping Asylum Reforms with 20-Year Settlement Wait and Conditional Status
UK Orders Twitter Hacker to Repay £4.1 Million Following 2020 High-Profile Breach
Popeyes UK Eyes Century Mark as Fried-Chicken Chain Accelerates Roll-out
Two-thirds of UK nurses report working while unwell amid staffing crisis
Britain to Reform Human-Rights Laws in Sweeping Asylum Policy Overhaul
Nearly Half of Job Losses Under Labour Government Affect UK Youth
UK Chancellor Reeves Eyes High-Value Home Levy in Budget to Raise Tens of Billions
UK Urges Poland to Choose Swedish Submarines in Multi-Billion € Defence Bid
US Border Czar Tom Homan Declares UK No Longer a ‘Friend’ Amid Intelligence Rift
UK Announces Reversal of Income Tax Hike Plans Ahead of Budget
Starmer Faces Mounting Turmoil as Leaked Briefings Ignite Leadership Plot Rumours
UK Commentator Sami Hamdi Returns Home After US Visa Revocation and Detention
UK Eyes Denmark-Style Asylum Rules in Major Migration Shift
UK Signals Intelligence Freeze Amid US Maritime Drug-Strike Campaign
TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025 Celebrates Top Creators Including Max Klymenko as Creator of the Year
UK Growth Nearly Stalls at 0.1% in Q3 as Cyberattack Halts Car Production
Apple Denied Permission to Appeal UK App Store Ruling, Faces Over £1bn Liability
UK Chooses Wylfa for First Small Modular Reactors, Drawing Sharp U.S. Objection
Starmer Faces Growing Labour Backlash as Briefing Sparks Authority Crisis
Reform UK Withdraws from BBC Documentary Amid Legal Storm Over Trump Speech Edit
UK Prime Minister Attempts to Reassert Authority Amid Internal Labour Leadership Drama
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
×