Up to 200,000 set to demonstrate in Washington over George Floyd death after 11th night of protests in US

Authorities in Washington are expecting Saturday to be the largest demonstration against police brutality in the city since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The US capital has featured daily protests for the past week and they have largely been peaceful, with people marching back and forth from the White House to the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters on Friday that local officials were projecting between 100,000 and 200,000 protesters on Saturday.

It comes as protesters across the US used the lifting of curfews to demonstrate against police brutality towards black people for the 11th night running.

Thousands marched in Minneapolis after a curfew was lifted, where the protests were peaceful.

The state of Minnesota is planning to start sending state troopers and National Guard members back on Saturday.

It comes as authorities have sought to reduce tensions by having National Guard troops not carry weapons.

Thousands of people are also expected to protest in London on Saturday.

Peaceful protests in London have been scheduled for Saturday in Parliament Square at 1pm and on Sunday outside the US embassy at 2pm.

In Washington, there were zero arrests during demonstrations on Thursday and Friday and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also cancelled the curfew that had been in place since Monday.

She said she will decide on Saturday morning if it will be reinstated.

Mr Floyd, a handcuffed black man, died on May 25 after a white police officer pressed his knee against his neck, ignoring his “I can’t breathe” cries.

Bystander video sparked outrage over Mr Floyd’s death and protests, some violent, that spread across the US and beyond.

Three fired police officers were charged with aiding and abetting murder in Mr Floyd’s death.

Meanwhile, Rev. Al Sharpton said the Washington rally he announced this week was being planned for August 28, the anniversary of the day Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.

He said the August event would be a way of maintaining momentum as the legal process against the men charged in Mr Floyd’s death is under way.

He said: “It’s going to be months, if not a year, before you even go to trial. So you can’t let this peter out … otherwise you’ll end up in a year and people will go on to another story, and you will not have the public notice and pressure that you need.”