Left protests against George Floyd's killing outside American Centre in Kolkata

A group of people of the CPI(M)-affiliated student and youth organisations Tuesday staged a protest against last week's custodial killing of African- American man George Floyd.

Kolkata: Members of the Left-backed SFI and DYFI protested on Tuesday outside the American Centre in Kolkata against the custodial killing of African-American man George Floyd in the US state of Minnesota.

Armed with placards reading "we protest racial attacks in US", around 60 members of the CPI(M)-affiliated student and youth organisations protested outside the building in the Chowringhee area in the heart of the city, SFI state secretary Srijan Bhattacharya said.

The protesters also shouted slogans against US President Donald Trump for his alleged failure to prevent such attacks on the black population and demanded quick punishment of the policemen involved in the killing.

The demonstrators also carried placards expressing solidarity with the thousands protesting across the US against the alleged abuse of black and other racialm minorities.

The protests continued for around 30 minutes but didn't disrupt vehicular movement, officials said.

On Monday, members of Left-wing SUCI demonstrated in the Esplanade area of the city over the issue. Violent protests have engulfed at least 140 cities across the US following the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old man who was pinned to the ground on May 25 by a white police officer as he gasped for breath and died.

As the video went viral, spontaneous protests broke out across the US defying COVID-19 lockdown in which at least five people were killed and thousands arrested.

(PTI)