Black Lives Matter protesters have pulled down a statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston that had stood in the center of Bristol in the west of England UK since 1895.

The statue had been the object of controversy in recent years, with many saying he shouldn't be publicly recognized by the town and even signing a petition to have it removed. Colston also has several landmarks taking his name in Bristol.

Colston joined the Royal African Company in 1680 and became Deputy Governor of the company - which had the monopoly in England on trading in gold, silver, ivory, and slaves along Africa's west coast - in1689. It is estimated that during the time Colston's occupied the Royal African Company's most senior executive position, as many as 84,000 African men, women, and children were transported by the company as slaves - 19,000 of which died during the journey to the Caribbean and the Americas.

The bronze statue was pulled down among cheering of the protesters and then pushed it into the city's river.

The incident came as  anti-racism protests continued around Europe with thousands gathering to condemn the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in the United States.

Floyd died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes as he was pinned to the floor. The policeman Derek Chauvin has been dismissed and charged with murder.

It sparked a wave of demonstrations around the world including large gatherings this weekend in London.

At the same time there has been concern that those protesting are not observing social distancing measures and it could aid the spread of COVID-19.

Nawied Jabarkhyl, London

Demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Embassy to protest at the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd last month.

Some wore face masks as concerns over social distancing at the protests grow.

The UK's Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the gatherings "undoubtedly risk" spreading the coronavirus. He added that roughly one in 1,000 people are infectious with COVID-19 in the country.

Security was also tight at the U.S. Embassy, which cost $1 billion to build.

On Saturday, there were skirmishes outside Downing Street - the official residence of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 14 police officers were injured and 14 people were arrested following the clashes. Cressida Dick, the head of London's Metropolitan Police called the attacks on officers "shocking and unacceptable."

There was a big police presence again on Sunday as the protests continued.

Isobel Ewing in Hungary

Hundreds gathered in Liberty Square in Budapest, outside the American Embassy, for a peaceful gathering to show solidarity for victims of injustice and racism around the world.

The crowd was mostly young and international, and remained peaceful despite a heavy police presence.

Due to the current ban on political demonstrations in Hungary due to pandemic-related restrictions, organizers asked participants not to write signs with overtly political statements.

"I think it's a very important issue and I have to show my empathy in some way. It's amazing that in Budapest, this is happening," a young demonstrator told CGTN.

Racial tensions have flared recently and last week a far right nationalist group held a rally to protest what they define as "gypsy crime," following a double homicide in central Budapest.

Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony condemned the rally as "filthy hatred" and said racial incitement would not be tolerated in the capital.

Sunday's participants said a demonstration against systemic racism in Hungary was long-overdue.

"I'm not only here because of the events in the US but I'm also here to stand against the Hungarian discrimination against gypsy people," a woman said.

There were songs and short speeches, in which an organizer said "our enemies are not people with different political views, our real enemy is the system we have created over thousands of years."

A Zimbabwean expat said police brutality affects the whole world including countries that are run by black people.

"I'm here because all lives can't matter until black lives matter and I think enough is enough, this has been going on for far too long and the authorities that are responsible for the people they are protecting," she said.

Demonstrators were silent for eight minutes and 46 seconds - the duration George Floyd was pinned down and what has become symbolic of police brutality.

Toni Waterman in Belgium

Thousands of protesters marched in Brussels on Sunday, demanding justice for George Floyd and calling for an end to police brutality across the globe.

The interracial crowd demonstrated in front of Palais de Justice, the most important court building in Belgium. Many held signs and chanted "no justice, no peace."

Tresor Ramazani, 22, who traveled from Lebbeke to be at the protest, said: "It's important for the people to know that we are still enraged by what happened in America, but it's also for the people in Belgium, the ones that don't know what we go through everyday at school, at football, just in regular life."

"People judge us based on our skin color and we are here to try and make a difference."

There are no official records on police killings in Belgium, but the most recent report from the police watchdog Comité P shows 2,965 lodged complaints against the police in 2018, the highest number since at least 2010.

Claudine Jlozernjenz, 21, from Brussels, said she was heartened to see so many races represented at the rally, but wanted a change at the ballot box.

"All of those people don't even know what racism is on a daily basis so when it is time to vote, that's when it's going to be important for them to stand up," she said.

Other anti-racism demonstrations also took place across Belgium over the weekend. Some 700 people peacefully gathered in Antwerp on Saturday, while demonstrations were also held in Ghent and Halle on Sunday.

The killing of Floyd has rekindled criticisms of Belgium's own brutal history. A number of statues of King Leopold II, whose colonization of the Congo left millions of people dead at the end of the 19th century, have been defaced. 

One statue in Antwerp was set on fire, while others have been tagged with "I can't breathe," a reference to Floyd's pleas for mercy. A petition calling for the removal of all King Leopold II statues in Brussels has garnered over 56,000 signatures.

Sunday's BLM protest was the first mass gathering since the coronavirus outbreak. There were concerns the event could lead to a new round of infections. 

Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes had asked organizers to find an alternative way to demonstrate, but the city's mayor approved the "static" protest. Nearly all participants wore a mask, but it was impossible to keep physical distance.