20 Signs From Black Lives Matter Protests Everyone Should See

These powerful signs from Black Lives Matter protests around the country—and world—will move you.

Protests have emerged all over the country in the past week, with thousands showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement and calling for justice to be served following the death of George Floyd after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck. People of all skin colors have gathered to protest racism and police brutality across the globe, everywhere from New York to Portland to Kansas to Manchester, England. Along with their chants and fists in the air, the demonstrators carry signs, demanding justice and equality. Here are some of the most powerful signs captured during the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests. And for more ways you can help, check out the 7 Charities That Need Your Donation More Than Ever Right Now.

1
This sign showing how many black men have been killed by police officers

2BW5DXM New York, New York, USA. 29th May, 2020. New York, New York, U.S.: a woman holds a sign mentioning the names of the people who lost their lives due to police brutalities during a protest over the death of George Floyd near Foley Square. Credit: Corine Sciboz/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News
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A woman in New York held a sign highlighting other black men in addition to Floyd who have lost their lives at the hands of current or former police officers. The list includes 82 names.

2
This sign from healthcare workers fighting two pandemics

2BN0YKE New York, USA. 11th May, 2020. Activists assemble in One Police Plaza in New York City on May 11, 2020, protesting racial profiling after data revealed that 80 percent of summonses issued for social distancing violations were given to black and brown people. (Photo by Gabriele Holtermann-Gorden/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa USA/Alamy Live News
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Marches in support of the Black Lives Matter movement have emerged during the coronavirus pandemic, and these healthcare workers based in New York City gathered to show their support, calling police brutality a virus as well.

3
And this sign, also highlighting racism as another pandemic

2BWBPBH Washington, DC / USA - May 30, 2020: Crowds of peoplegather at the White House to protest the death of George Floyd.
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As many worry about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, protestors in Washington D.C., the nation's capital, shined a light on the pandemic that is racism.

4
This sign simply asking for justice

2BW5K8J Protest march against police brutality in Lower Manhattan following the death of Minneapolis man George Loyd at the hands of local police.
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Protestors all over the country have been holding up signs asking for justice to be served in light of Floyd's death. Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder, which does not require an intent to kill. However many people, including Floyd's family, expected a first-degree murder charge.

5
This sign calling out those who aren't paying attention

2BW6P2D Demonstrators in Portland, Oregon on May 29, 2020 protested the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25 at the hands of the police; the protest turned violent as the Police Justice Center was attacked. (Photo by John Rudoff/Sipa USA)
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Some demonstrators turned their messages on the silent, calling them "a part of the problem," as this sign read.

6
This sign that turns the question back around on others

2BW6854 Portland, USA. 29th May, 2020. Protesters gather in Peninsula Park during a vigil for George Floyd in Portland, Ore., on May 29, 2020. (Photo by Alex Milan Tracy/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa USA/Alamy Live News
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Other protestors carried signs defying those asking, "Why do you care?"—saying they wonder why others don't care.

7
This sign showing the similarities between George Floyd and Eric Garner's murders

2BW5DTP New York, New York, USA. 29th May, 2020. New York, New York, U.S.: a man holds a sign that says ''I Can't Breathe'' during a protest over the death of George Floyd near Foley Square. Credit: Corine Sciboz/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News
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People are pointing out the similarities between the death of Floyd and Eric Garner, a black man who was murdered in 2014 in New York. In viral video footage, both were heard saying they couldn't breathe before they were killed by police officers.

8
This sign using the raised fist, a symbol for the Black Lives Matter movement

2BW98M9 Manhattan, Kansas, USA. 30th May, 2020. A peaceful protester holds a sign which reads, How is Someone supposed to Breathe while our nation suffocates them, on Saturday in response to the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police earlier this week. The peaceful protesters marched from Triangle Park to Juilette Avenue and was organized by Pastor JahVelle Rhone and Trumanue Lindsey. Credit: Luke Townsend/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News
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Even smaller cities, like Manhattan, Kansas, had protestors demonstrating with signs highlighting police brutality and systematic racism within the country.

9
This sign showing who has been persecuted during the coronavirus pandemic

2BN0YKG New York, USA. 11th May, 2020. Activists assemble in Foley Square in New York City on May 11, 2020, protesting racial profiling after data revealed that 80 percent of summonses issued for social distancing violations were given to black and brown people. (Photo by Gabriele Holtermann-Gorden/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa USA/Alamy Live News
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The New York Police Department (NYPD) released data related to social distancing enforcement in early May, which showed that 80 percent of those who were issued summons for violations were people of color.

10
This sign held by a black woman that reads: "You can't kill us all"

2BW5DB4 USA. 29th May, 2020. Hundreds gathered under the auspices of the local chapter of the NAACP in Portland, Oregon on May 29, 2020 to protest the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25. (Photo by John Rudoff/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa USA/Alamy Live News
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Many people gathered with the local chapter of the NAACP in Portland, Oregon, to protest together, including this woman and her powerful simple sign.

11
This sign asking when there will be justice

2BW5DF5 USA. 29th May, 2020. Hundreds gathered under the auspices of the local chapter of the NAACP in Portland, Oregon on May 29, 2020 to protest the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25. (Photo by John Rudoff/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa USA/Alamy Live News
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This sign also came from the Portland protests, with demonstrators questioning when justice will be served.

12
And this sign asking, "Who will survive in America?"

2BWD77M Protestor marching against the police killing of George Floyd carrying a sign saying Who will survive in America? Who will survive in America? quoting a spoken word poem by Gil Scott-Heron.
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"Who will survive in America?" is a quote from the spoken word poem "Comment #1," by Gil Scott-Heron.

13
This sign calling ignorance a choice in the age of information

2BW696A New York, United States. 29th May, 2020. Protesters walk on the Brooklyn Bridge during a Black Lives Matter protest in outrage after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after being arrested by a police officer in Minneapolis who pinned him to the floor with his knee. Demonstrations are taking place in the U.S. after George Floyd died in police custody on May 25, 2020. Credit: Brazil Photo Press/Alamy Live News
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Protesters walking across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City called out ignorance, saying those who refuse to get informed have chosen to remain ignorant.

14
This sign asking for accountability in Los Angeles

2BW0BAP Los Angeles, California, USA. 27th May, 2020. Black Lives Matter demonstrators march through downtown LA in protest of George Floyd death. Protestors demanded the arrest of the police officer seen on camera kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who claimed he couldn't breathe and later died in a Minnesota hospital. Credit: Jason Ryan/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com/Alamy Live News
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Protestors in Los Angeles called for accountability, raising awareness for those who have been killed in the L.A. area, including Kisha Michael, Anthony "A.J." Weber, and Eric Rivera.

15
And this sign calling for the same thing in New York

2BWD77F A large crowd of protestors in Union Square. One carrying a sign that says silence is betrayal #saytheirnames with the names of many Black Americans who have been killed by the police.
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Protestors also asked for accountability for those responsible in the murders of unarmed black citizens.

16
This sign speaking out against police brutality

2BWA4T0 Los Angeles, United States. 27th May, 2020. Demonstrators in downtown Los Angeles protest the death of George Floyd, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. (Dylan Stewart/Image of Sport) (Photo by IOS/Espa-Images) Credit: European Sports Photo Agency/Alamy Live News
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Another protestor in Los Angeles held up a sign saying, "A badge is not a license to kill," in response to police brutality.

17
This sign about judging someone's intent by their skin color

2BWCAW0 A Black Lives Matter protest attracted several hundred protesters in central Manchester, England, United Kingdom on 31st May, 2020, in solidarity with the protesters in America regarding the death of George Floyd. Floyd, an African-American man, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, on May 25, 2020, while being arrested by 4 police officers after a shop assistant alleged he tried to pay with a counterfeit $20 bill.
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In England, hundreds of protestors gathered in central Manchester to protest police brutality, including this demonstrator whose sign criticized those who assume the worst in black people.

18
This sign pointing out what happens when people remain silent

2BW6CTP New York, New York, USA. 29th May, 2020. Protesters walk on the Brooklyn Bridge during a ''Black Lives Matter'' protest in outrage after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after being arrested by a police officer in Minneapolis who pinned him to the floor with his knee. Demonstrations are taking place in the U.S. after George Floyd died in police custody on May 25, 2020. Credit: William Volcov/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News
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Many people have spoken up about much damage silence can do. Even Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel expressed opposition to silence in his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech: "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

19
This sign reminding everyone that George Floyd should still be alive

2BW5K32 Protest march against police brutality in Lower Manhattan following the death of Minneapolis man George Loyd at the hands of local police.
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A woman in Manhattan protested with a sign that simply read: "George Floyd should be alive right now."

20
And this sign showing what many Black Americans are asking themselves

2BWBK37 Washington, DC / USA - May 30, 2020: Crowds gather in the United States capitol to protest the death of George Floyd.
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As fears heighten over the deaths of unarmed Black Americans, many are wondering if they could be next.

Kali Coleman
Kali Coleman is a Senior Editor at Best Life. Her primary focus is covering news, where she often keeps readers informed on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and up-to-date on the latest retail closures. Read more
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