Soldiers from the Household Cavalry scrub graffiti off Whitehall while George Floyd protesters berate them for protecting 'precious memorials'
- A dozen soldiers from the Household Cavalry scrubbed at graffiti yesterday
- The group took horse-grooming brushes down to the Earl Haig statue in London
- Black Lives Matter demonstrators were protesting around them as they cleaned
- The group were blasted for 'not waiting even a day' before cleaning the slogan
- ACAB, claiming police are complicit in systemic racism, was spray painted in red
Soldiers from the Household Cavalry have been filmed scrubbing graffiti in Whitehall as protesters blasted them for cleaning 'their precious memorial' while Black Lives Matter demonstrations continued around them.
Around a dozen soldiers left their barracks next to Hyde Park in London last night, with the permission of their commander, to clean graffiti from the Earl Haig memorial.
A video taken at 8.30pm shows the group furiously scrubbing at red marks left on the base of the statue.
The graffiti read ACAB - a slogan used to indicate all police are complicit in a system that works against black people. It stands for 'All cops are b*****ds'.
Protests broke out in London on Monday, two weeks after African-American George Floyd gasped 'I can't breath' minutes before dying as a police officer knelt on his neck in Minneapolis, US.
Around a dozen soldiers left their barracks next to Hyde Park in London last night, with the permission of their commander, to clean graffiti from the Earl Haig memorial
In yesterday's 42-second clip the woman filming said: 'Couldn't even wait a day. Not one day, because of their precious memorial'.
Another protester berated the cavalry regiment for picking up signs and putting them in bin bags, which she says she saw them doing earlier in the day.
She said: 'Excuse me when I saw you earlier you all picked up signs and put them in bin bags. Why did you pick them up? I don't understand.'
The soldiers appeared to use their horse grooming brushes to remove the paint from the statue of World War 1 senior army officer Earl Haig
This protester berated the cavalry regiment for picking up signs and putting them in bin bags, which she says she saw them doing earlier in the day
The soldiers appeared to use their horse grooming brushes to remove the paint from the statue of World War 1 senior army officer Earl Haig.
The bronze equestrian statue has been at the spot since it was unveiled by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester on November 10, 1937.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence confirmed it was members of the Household Cavalry who were filmed cleaning the statue.
They said: 'They were in the area because their head office is nearby and they noticed the graffiti and wanted to go out and clean it.
'They asked permission and the commander was happy for them to do so as long as they stayed safe.'
Britons have been protesting across the country this week in solidarity with African-Americans angry over police brutality in the US.
Thousands of people gathered for demonstrations in Bristol, Birmingham, Hull, Exeter, and Portsmouth yesterday as they called for systemic change in attitudes towards racial equality in the UK.
Having spent the last few months in coronavirus lockdown, very few of the attendees at the protests appeared to be concerned about social distancing.
One demonstrator said the protests were 'very important because it is sending a clear message that we have had enough racial injustice in our country'.
Isabelle Orsini, 20, is originally from New York, but now lives in Kensington. She said: 'The US obviously has a much deeper and darker history of black discrimination compared to the UK.
'The reason people are so angry is because this is reopening wounds that go back hundreds of years.
'It is very important that we do whatever it takes to tell our government that racism will not be tolerated.'
Activists outside Cardiff Castle in Wales held placards which said, 'The UK is not innocent,' and in Manchester hundreds flocked to show their solidarity in St. Peter's Square.
It comes as the Metropolitan Police gave the green light to its officers taking a knee during the Black Lives Matter protest yesterday, while the rank-and-file union said the gesture 'shows we are human beings.'
Several officers adopted the iconic pose in support of the anti-racism protests in London which were sparked by the death of George Floyd in the US and are now sweeping the world.
It is the first time police in the UK have used the bold stance and those that did outside Downing Street were applauded with whoops and cheers from the crowd.
But some older officers have said that police shouldn't kneel to protesters and others commentators has suggested that they are doing so to avoid reprisals from demonstrators.
One former officer tweeted: 'I served in the Met Police many years ago. Take a knee, never never ever, I'm ashamed of what they have to do today. In my day it would have been very very different. The Mayor of London and Cressida Dick should resign in total shame.'
The bronze equestrian statue has been at the spot since it was unveiled by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester on November 10, 1937
US EMBASSY, LONDON, ENGLAND: Demonstrators block the road as they gather outside the US Embassy to protest the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis, USA
US EMBASSY, LONDON, ENGLAND: A man wearing a protective face mask kneels in front of police officers during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd near the U.S. Embassy
Metropolitan Police officers take a knee at yesterday's Black Lives Matter protest in London
TRAFALGAR SQUARE, LONDON, ENGLAND: Hundreds of demonstrators were packed into Trafalgar Square on Sunday, chanting 'I can't breathe,' the words Floyd was heard gasping as a white police officer knelt on his neck in Minneapolis
One former Metropolitan Police officer tweeted that he would 'never never ever' take a knee
In a statement Scotland Yard said: 'We know passions are running high and like everyone we were appalled by the images of George Floyd losing his life.
'Our officers are part of the communities of London and care deeply about justice and equality.
'Taking the knee is a personal decision and should individual officers at their own discretion, where it was safe to do so, and is doesn't interfere with their operational duties, decide to kneel on one knee with Londoners they are free to do so.'
Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said his colleagues kneeling down was a show of empathy and respect over the death of Mr Floyd.
The officers that took the knee outside Downing Street were applauded yesterday
Mr Marsh also said it was 'disappointing' that police forces in the UK were being compared to their counterparts in the U.S following the death of Mr Floyd, who was pinned down by the neck for more than eight minutes by a Minneapolis officer.
He told MailOnline: 'I think that by those officers taking a knee during the protests yesterday shows that we are human beings.
'I think it shows that we try to understand what is put in front of us in a very difficult situation.
'Bear in mind we are in the middle of a pandemic which is still killing hundreds of people every day, you shouldn't have a crowd of thousands of people in the way that there was yesterday so a lot of empathy was shown in terms of the policing.
Protesters kneel in front of police during the Black Lives Matter protest in London yesterday
NFl Colin Kaepernick started the 'take a knee' movement during his time in the NFL and it has become a symbol of anger and solidarity against racism across the world
'But the bottom line is we understand. We understand what took place over the water.
'I personally don't think we are anything like America and I find it disappointing that comparisons are being made with us and the States because we police by consent.
'And that was clear from the way our officers behaved at the protest yesterday.'
At least 15,000 Black Lives Matter protesters including actor John Boyega and singer Liam Payne gathered in London, ignoring social distancing guidelines, as a show of anger against the death of Mr Floyd 11 days ago.
And at least 2,000 of those demonstrated in front of Downing Street, shouting 'take a knee' at Metropolitan Police officers guarding security gates.
Four officers obliged, to the approval of the crowds, who urged other officers to follow the example of their colleagues.
One of those officers explained his actions and said: 'I did it because at the end of the day we're all one.'
Police are generally advised by their senior officers to refrain from any behaviour that might bring their impartiality into question.
But the officer, based in North London, said: 'I know I'm not racist and I know that my colleagues are not racist, so why not?
'I came into the job to help people and it was a nice gesture. A few of us decided to do it.'
However some Twitter users suggested that police were only taking the knee because they feared reprisals if they did not.
Peter Ashworth, from Gloucestershire, tweeted: 'Police being attacked and forced to kneel for fear of reprisals. London monuments being defaced. This is not OK.'
Another social media user added: 'Your officers have disgraced the police force of Britain with your sub-missionary kneel to the general public yesterday.
'As an ex-serviceman I am appalled at your officers. They should be disciplined for this act.'
Some Twitter users were upset by the act - and suggested that police were only taking the knee because they feared reprisals if they did not
The 'take a knee' movement started in the US with NFL star Colin Kaepernick and has become a symbol of anger and solidarity against racism across the world.
In the US, officers recently started taking a knee in support of protesters following days of unrest after Mr Floyd's killing at the hands of police.
In the run-up to yesterday's London protest, the Met released a statement empathising with those angered by Mr Floyd's death.
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