M6 closed tonight as Black Lives Matter protest stops motorway traffic near Coventry
A CARRIAGEWAY was partially blocked this evening after a group of Black Lives Matter protesters walked down the M6.
Video shows up to 100 people marching in the middle of the southbound carriageway near Coventry chanting 'no justice, no peace' and holding placards.
⚠️ Watch our YouTube live stream of the Black Lives Matter protests
One witness told Birmingham Mail that a police helicopter was circling the area and dog handlers were on the scene.
An eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said: “I was going 70mph then they just walked out into the road in front of me.
"They put traffic cones down and then sat down. I’d say there are 100 here. They came on at junction 3 of the M6 and now there’s a rolling roadblock to junction 2.
“The traffic has been held both sides. The police helicopter is up and there is a police dogs team here as well. The group were chanting ‘Black Lives Matter’ over and over again.."
Highways England confirmed there was "police lead incident" on the M6 between junctions 3 and 2.
The roads were cleared at about 7pm this evening.
It comes as thousands of people descended on London and Bristol today to take part in Black Lives Matters protests.
In London, protesters rallied outside the US Embassy over the death of George Floyd in America.
Activists in face masks are holding placards reading "I can't breathe" to echo the final words of Floyd after white police officer Derek Chauvin held him down by kneeling on his neck.
Others have taken a kneel in solidarity with those of who have accused police of brutality on a global scale.
The densely-packed crowd also broke out into chants of "enough is enough".
The Winston Churchill statue was defaced for a second day in a row during the protests in London.
Today, Churchill's name was crossed out and in black spray paint 'was a racist' was written underneath.
A further 4,000 people have descended on a gathering in Bristol and peaceful demonstrations are also being held in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
In Bristol today, a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled as jubilent protesters jumped up and down on it.
Dramatic pictures show crowds holding up signs reading "Black Lives Matter" as they chant the name of the movement.
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