George Floyd death 'matters in UK', Welsh minister says

The death of George Floyd matters in the UK because of "disparities and inequalities" here, Wales' health minister Vaughan Gething has said.

Senior Welsh politicians have spoken of their concern at the death of the 46-year-old black man in police custody, which has triggered protests in the US.

Mr Gething said the images coming out of the country could not be ignored.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said video of the arrest was "among the most shocking and upsetting" he had seen.

However he cautioned people against travelling long distances to join protests in Wales while lockdown continues.

Protests began after a video showed Mr Floyd being arrested in Minneapolis on 25 May.

A white police officer who continued to kneel on Mr Floyd's neck, even after he pleaded that he could not breathe, has been charged with his murder.

President Donald Trump has threatened to send in the military to quell growing civil unrest.

"This is quite personal" Mr Gething, the most senior black politician in Wales, told the daily Welsh Government press conference.

"Despite the fact that I have a pretty all-consuming job to do in this once in a century pandemic, you can't avoid or ignore the images that we've seen.

"And it isn't just the images we've seen now, it's the fact that in the recent weeks there have been other killings of black people in the United States."

"It has an impact on all of us, and it matters here too. We have disparities and inequalities within the United Kingdom too.

"They may not be as stark as in the USA, but this matters not just because of where I stand in politics, it matters to me because of who I am."

He added: "All our lives should matter the same. But unfortunately, in some countries they don't."

Mr Drakeford told a Facebook question and answer session that footage showing the arrest of Mr Floyd was "among the most shocking and upsetting films that I have ever seen".

"It reminded me of a long-standing relationship that we have had between Wales and the black community in the United States," he said.

"We absolutely feel for George Floyd's family and black people in America.

A protest was held in Cardiff on Saturday and Mr Drakeford said he was "grateful" that it happened "on an agreed basis of one hour with social distancing involved".

But, asked if people could travel more than five miles to join a protest, the first minister said: "No matter how strongly you feel, we're not asking people to travel more than five miles.

"There are other ways in which you can make your views and your protests known and I encourage you to do that in what has been a really affecting set of circumstances."