The run up to Black Friday saw people protest in central London against Ferguson shooting of Michael Brown and failure to indict the police officer resonsible.

More than 1000 people took to London streets from Wednesday night to unite with those demonstrating in Ferguson driving the slogan, ‘Hands up don’t shoot’. This was in response to the verdict, delivered on Tuesday morning, which failed to charge police officer Darren Wilson for killing unarmed 18-year old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

The crowds started at The US embassy in Grosvenor Square before heading to Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus, but media coverage was low on mainstream news outlets. A minute’s silence was carried out to commemorate people killed by the police around the world, before loud chant of ‘killer police off our streets’. Police confirm that no arrests were made and the protest was carried off peacefully although clashes did occur.

Mark Duggan’s family joined the protesters in their stance. The 29-year old was killed and shot by police in Tottenham, 2011. His aunt, Carole Duggan, spoke on the matter: ‘Mark Duggan has not got justice and neither has Mike Brown. The police should be there to protect us, not to kill our children’. Wilson has most recently defended his decision to shoot the teenager, clarifying that he has a clean conscience for killing the student and has no plans to apologise to Michael’s parents.