On Monday afternoon, approximately 4000 protestors took to the streets in Auckland, New Zealand in support of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. The crowd, which marched to the US consulate chanting for justice, included UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
The peaceful crowd gathered at Aoeta Square to protest the killing of George Floyd, who suffocated to death after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck while restraining the African-American man. The officer ordered Mr. Floyd to “relax” while the 46-year-old man gasped, “Please, I can’t breathe.”
The crowd marched from the square to US consulate, where they reportedly chanted “No justice, no peace.” Others held handmade sign that carried slogans such as “Hands up don’t shoot” and “same shit different century.”
The protest culminated in a minute of silence in Mr. Floyd’s memory, with protestors kneeling in front of the US consulate.
Adesanya, who spoke to the crowd during the Black Lives Matter protest, is a Nigerian-born New Zealand native based in Auckland. The undefeated fighter is also the reigning UFC middleweight champion and most recently defended his title at UFC 248 — the final Pay-Per-View event prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
George Floyd’s death sparked anger and protests across the world, with demonstrations expanding beyond the borders of the United States. Demonstrations in solidarity with African Americans took place in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, and Canada.
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