British health minister Matt Hancock said on Thursday people should not attend large demonstrations for public health reasons after protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement attracted tens of thousands over the last week.
"I understand that people want to show their passion for a cause that they care deeply about but this is a virus that thrives on social contact, regardless of what your cause may be," he said at a daily news conference.
(Reporting by Costas Pitas and Andy Bruce; writing by Alistair Smout; editing by Stephen Addison)
