Black Lives Matter: Nicola Sturgeon urges public not to attend protests

The First Minister stressed any mass gathering risked spreading Covid-19.

Nicola Sturgeon has urged Scotland not to come out today to attend mass protests through the Black Lives Matter movement.

Thousands of people are expected to make their voices heard in Edinburgh and Glasgow, following the high-profile death of African American George Floyd in the US last week.

The First Minister called on Scots to ‘make your voice heard’ in support of the anti-racist movement, but not through mass gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

She urged people to instead take part in an online protest tonight at 6pm, led by the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

“Right now, mass gatherings risk spreading #COVID19 so please protest in other ways,” she said.

Protests in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement have sprung up across the world, with thousands of people converging on Parliament Square in London yesterday – with no social distancing in place.