Authorities in London safeguard Gandhi, Mandela, Churchill statues ahead of protests

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi in London's Parliament Square is among several monuments being covered and boarded up ahead of another set of planned protests, which erupted after the custodial killing of African-American George Floyd.

The steps below Gandhi's statue and the sculpture of former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill nearby were among those targeted with graffiti during anti-racism Black Lives Matter protests last weekend, which ended in violent clashes between demonstrators and police officers on duty.

More clashes are feared this weekend as anti-racist groups as well as far-right bodies are planning rival demonstrations in the UK capital.