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AP PHOTOS: Massive protests punctuate a week in the streets

Protesters hold hands in Marseille, southern France, Saturday, June 6, 2020. Protesters marched against the death of George Floyd, who died after he was restrained by police officers May 25 in Minneapolis, that has led to global protests. Further protests are planned over the weekend in European cities, some defying restrictions imposed by authorities due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) The Associated Press

They held up signs and their fists and the memory of George Floyd.

Tens of thousands of protesters marched worldwide in what could be the biggest one-day mobilization against racial injustice since a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into Floyd's neck for several minutes. Even after a week of the most significant protests the U.S. has seen in a generation, Saturday's crowds stood out.

Protesters held signs with slogans saying 'œBlack Lives Matter" and 'œNo Justice No Peace" during marches that were peaceful, sometimes even festive, after previous days had devolved in chaos. Police sometimes joined protesters, kneeling in a show of solidarity.

But the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic loomed, with many protesters wearing masks to try to prevent the spread of the respiratory virus.

The showing on the streets came the same day Floyd was honored at a memorial in his home state of North Carolina, where people lined up for hours to see his gold casket.

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