Statues boarded up in London ahead of anti-racism protests

Authorities in London have boarded up a war memorial and a statue of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill ahead of expected rival demonstrations by anti-racism and far-right protesters.

Monuments have become major focuses of contention in demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. A statue of slave trader Edward Colston was hauled from its plinth by protesters in the English port city of Bristol on Sunday and dumped in the harbour.

Several other statues have been defaced around the country. Police now fear far-right groups plan to seek confrontation under the guise of protecting statues.

With more demonstrations expected on the weekend, a protective plywood screen was erected around Churchill's statue outside Parliament. Authorities also fenced off the nearby Cenotaph, a memorial to Britain's war dead.

A Black Lives Matter group in London said it was calling off a planned protest on Saturday because the presence of far-right activists would make it unsafe. Another anti-racism protest Friday is set to go ahead.