Oxford Street in central London came to a standstill on Sunday as hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters gathered to demand justice for the killing of two black men by US police.

Demonstrators holding banners saying “black lives matter” and “no justice no peace” gathered this morning at Oxford Circus and marched down the busy shopping street towards Hyde Park.

The crowd stopped outside the American Embassy in Mayfair and chanted “hands up don’t shoot,” in reference to the killing of Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana by white police officers last week.

The rally, held in solidarity with protesters in the US, follows two similar marches that stopped traffic for four hours in Brixton in south London yesterday and outside the Houses of Parliament on Friday.

“Stopping traffic everywhere. The streets are ours today,” wrote Instagram user Ezzy Anya.

Some protesters started clapping and singing Michael Jackson’s song ‘They Don’t Care About Us’.

“Any person of colour is affected,” 24-year-old Lorraine Oclaa told Refinery 29.

“Look around, there's people of all ethnicities here. We're all here to let people know that our lives matter, and we've basically shut down Oxford Street, it's incredible.”

A placard held aloft at a Black Lives Matter protest in central London on 10 July (Rex Features)

Large crowds attended a sit-in protest in Brixton’s Windrush Square until around midnight last night, with some chanting “racist police, our streets.”

Scuffles broke out at one point after protesters said a bus driver made a derogatory remark towards them. He was punched by one protester after being ushered away by six or seven police officers.

Officers then backed away from the crowd who remained in the road playing music.

The protest was one of a number organised in the UK since a shootout at a rally in Dallas on Thursday night, where five police officers were killed.

A suspect in the shooting was later killed by a police-operated explosive, and named as 25-year-old Micah Johnson.

Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Show all 20 1 /20 Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer receives comfort at the Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance in Dallas Dallas Morning News/AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Emergency services help an unknown patient on a stretcher as law enforcement officials stand nearby at the emergency receiving area of Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police shield bystanders after shots were fired, during a protest over two recent fatal police shootings of black men AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Bystanders run for cover after shots fired at a Black Live Matter rally in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police check a car after snipers opened fire on police officers in Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A man raises his hands as he walks near a law enforcement officer, following the shootings of several police officers in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Dallas police officer steps out of a vehicle as he arrives in front of Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police officers face protesters on the corner of Ross Ave. and Griffin street after police officers were shot during a peaceful protest in Dallas EPA Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Dallas police officer covers his face as he stands with others outside the emergency room at Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Law enforcement officials escort a couple in through the emergency room entrance at Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police cars sit on Main Street in Dallas following the sniper shooting during a protest AFP/Getty Images Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Police officer stands guard at a barricade following the sniper shooting in Dallas AFP/Getty Images Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police stand near a barricade following the sniper shooting in Dallas AFP/Getty Images Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police check a car after detaining a driver after a shooting in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police order people away from the area after several police were shot in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police move to detains a driver after several police officers were shot in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police detain a driver after several police officers were shot in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas Dallas Morning News/AP

Protests have been held in several US cities after a Minnesota officer shot Mr Castile dead while he was in a car with a woman and a child on Wednesday.

The aftermath of the shooting was livestreamed in a widely shared Facebook video.