Teen, 19, is charged with arson after ‘trying to burn Union flag at Cenotaph’

A TEENAGER filmed at a Black Lives Matter protest standing atop the Cenotaph has been charged with arson.

Astrophel Sang, 19, was videoed standing on the iconic memorial to Britain’s war dead in Westminster while holding a lighter on June 7.

Cops said he will face trial in November.

The Black Lives Matter demonstrations were attended by tens of thousands of people across the UK in Manchester, Watford, Edinburgh and Cardiff.

A string of celebrities were also spotted at the rallies with Anthony Joshua, Stormzy, Rio Ferdinand and Madonna all supporting the demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday.

The protests were sparked following the killing of a black man, George Floyd, by police in Minneapolis.

The protest on Sunday, June 7 took place outside the US Embassy in a response to the death of George Floyd.

Activists in face masks held placards reading "I can't breathe" to echo the final words of Mr Floyd after white police officer Derek Chauvin held him down by kneeling on his neck.

Others have taken a knee in solidarity with those of who have accused police of brutality on a global scale.

The densely-packed crowd also broke out into chants of "enough is enough".

Home Secretary Priti Patel branded the escalation of violence as "lawless and reckless" and described the scenes as "disgraceful vandalism" by a "thuggish minority".

Boris Johnson tweeted: "People have a right to protest peacefully & while observing social distancing but they have no right to attack the police.

"These demonstrations have been subverted by thuggery - and they are a betrayal of the cause they purport to serve. Those responsible will be held to account."

Protests in London and the rest of the UK have mostly been peaceful throughout the weekend.

But petty acts of vandalism included the Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi statues being defaced in Parliament Square.