London councils lit their offices up in purple on Tuesday (June 2) to mark the tragic death of a black man in Minneapolis who died at the hands of US police.  

George Floyd was killed on May 25 after being arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 note.  

Police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on the side of Mr Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while the 46-year-old was handcuffed and lying face down. 

Mr Floyd was filmed by bystanders saying “I can’t breathe” multiple times.  

All four officers who participated in the arrest were fired the next day, while Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. 

Since Mr Floyd’s death, tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in US cities and across the world, including London.  

Last night, councils including Lewisham, Southwark, and Lambeth, bathed their offices in purple light to remember Mr Floyd and to “stand together against racism”.  

Lewisham’s mayor, Damien Egan, said: “In memory of George Floyd, Lewisham will be joining other councils around the country in lighting our Town Hall purple tonight.  

“We must stand together against racism and fight inequality wherever it takes place. #BlackLivesMatter.” 

Cllr Jack Hopkins, Lambeth Council’s leader, said: “We are a council, a borough, and a community that believes in justice.  

“The death of Mr Floyd highlights the huge injustices faced by Black communities in the US, and we want to demonstrate our rejection of all such discrimination here in our part of London. 

“We will light our iconic town hall purple, so that people can see our abhorrence of racism, in any form, at any time.  

“We stand with the Mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey and the people of the city during these difficult days.” 

A spokesperson for Southwark Council tweeted: “The killing of George Floyd has horrified people around the world. 

“We stand against racism and injustice, alongside and in solidarity with the local and global Black community.”