THOUSANDS of Newport residents took the knee at the city's Black Lives Matter protest today.

The gesture has become a symbol of the civil rights struggle on both sides of the Atlantic following a series high-profile killings of black people by police officers.

The latest, and the spark which has ignited a series of Black Lives Matter protests across the world, was the killing of George Floyd by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

The protestors knelt as one for eight minutes, the the length of time that officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Mr Floyd’s neck.

Pastor Robbie Howells, speaking from the steps of Newport Civic Centre during the event, said: "We need to focus on ourselves... then take action in communities.

"Like any deep problem in the community, you can't fix it in one day.

"If I can do anything, I will.

"Let's make sure we are consistent, we keep going, and working for our rights."

22-year-old Andrew Ogun organised the event after feeling that enough is enough and wanting Newport to stand with the rest of the world.

Ahead of the event, he said: “We are not saying that black lives matter more than white lives, or than police officers. We are saying that black lives are treated as if they don’t matter as much as others.

“The worldwide response has been incredible, so many people from all facets of life have come together as they know it is wrong.

“It was inspiring to me seeing people showing their solidarity. I wanted Newport to also show we stand together.”

Follow our live coverage of the protest here.