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The carnival, seen as a symbol of interracial
tolerance, dates back to the 1960s and celebrates Britain's
Afro-Caribbean community. It usually attracts more than a
million visitors over the August Bank Holiday weekend, but its
parade has been replaced this year by a virtual festival.
However, one man danced along the route of the procession on an
unseasonably cold day on Monday in a purple headdress and
shorts.
Separately, another man in a black and yellow outfit dodged
London taxis as he celebrated the public holiday, which did not
have the usual road closures in place.
Notting Hill's streets, usually packed for the holiday, were
virtually empty, and neither man had trouble maintaining social
distancing during their informal processions.
London's police have urged people to stay at home and avoid
large gatherings over the holiday weekend, and no large
gatherings related to the carnival had been reported by
mid-afternoon on Monday.
Singer Adele stoked an online debate by posting a picture of
herself wearing a Jamaica-flag bikini top with her hair in Bantu
knots on Instagram, in honour of the carnival.
Some accused Adele, who is white and hails from London, of
cultural appropriation, but opposition Labour lawmaker David
Lammy said that the singer of hits such as "Hello" and "Someone
Like You" had captured the carnival's spirit.
"This humbug totally misses the spirit of Notting Hill
Carnival," he said in a tweet in response to accusations of
appropriation.
"Adele was born and raised in Tottenham, she gets it more than
most. Thank you Adele. Forget the Haters."
(Reporting by Toby Melville; writing by Alistair Smout; Editing
by Gareth Jones)
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