George Floyd: Machynlleth mosaic laid as virus fears stop march

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Black Lives Matter mosaic in Machynlleth
Image caption,

Placards and banners were laid in protest to replace a planned march

Anti-racism protestors have laid a mosaic of placards and banners after a planned protest was cancelled over fears of spreading coronavirus.

A march over racially inequality, sparked by the death of George Floyd in the US, was scheduled to take place in Machynlleth, Powys on Sunday.

Earlier, First Minister Mark Drakeford urged protestors to find "other ways to protest" in lockdown.

Thousands of people have taken part in protests across the UK this weekend.

A demonstration was held in the rural market town on Thursday, but the group behind it said it had cancelled Sunday's after concerns expressed by the Dyfi Health Centre.

Image caption,

A march was held on Thursday in the town

On Sunday, one of the organisers, Kim Bryan, said: "I think it's important to stand up wherever you are.

"The thing about being a rural community is we are a predominantly white community and for many of us, I'm a white person myself, maybe we don't see the racism that is existing.

"I think particularly in white communities people of colour can feel quite alienated and I don't think we do enough to acknowledge and challenge that."

Media caption,

Further Black Lives Matter protests across Wales

During the protests on Thursday, American citizen Briony Greenhill, said the protests were "timely".

She said that when she first moved to the United States she heard a radio bulletin detailing the death of a man at the hands of police.

"In the ten years I lived there those kind of newscasts became a regular part of life."