International Desk: Huge peaceful rallies are taking place across the US against racism and police brutality on the 12th day of protests sparked by George Floyd's death.
Tens of thousands of people have marched in Washington DC in the capital's largest demonstration so far.
Security forces blocked any approach to the White House. Crowds also protested in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
Meanwhile, people paid their respects to Mr Floyd in North Carolina, where he was born, before a memorial service.
Mr Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in police custody in Minneapolis on 25 May. Video showed a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Mr Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes while he is pinned to the floor.
Mr Chauvin has been dismissed and charged with murder. Three other officers who were on the scene have also been sacked and charged with aiding and abetting.
Large anti-racism protests also took place in a number of other countries. In the UK, Parliament Square in central London was filled with people despite calls by the government to avoid mass gatherings for fear of spreading the coronavirus.
In Australia, there were major protests in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane that focused on the treatment of indigenous Australians. There were also demonstrations in France, Germany and Spain.
What is happening in the US?
In Washington DC, protesters – many of them carrying placards saying “Black Lives Matter” – gathered peacefully near the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial and outside Lafayette Park, next to the White House, at the newly renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza.
Mayor Muriel Bowser welcomed people, saying the crowds had sent a message to President Donald Trump. On Monday, federal law enforcement officers fired tear gas to clear a protest in the area ahead of a visit to a church by the president.
“If he can take over Washington DC, he can come for any state, and none of us will be safe,” she said. “Our soldiers should not be treated that way, they should not be asked to move on American citizens.”
Ms Bowser has requested the withdrawal of all federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops from the city, saying their presence is “unnecessary”.
A 35-year-protester, Eric Wood, told the BBC: “I'm here because I really couldn't afford not to be here. Racism has long been a part of the US.”
Crystal Ballinger, 46, said she felt hopeful about the movement this time. “I feel something different about this protest… I'm hopeful that the message of solidarity and equality is getting out.”
In New York, crowds crossed the Brooklyn Bridge while in San Francisco demonstrators briefly shut the Golden Gate Bridge. There were protests also in Atlanta and Philadelphia, where crowds chanted “We need justice, we need love”.
