Peaceful protests in the US over the murder of African-American George Floyd by a policeman are 'legitimate,' DW reported referring to German FM Heiko Maas.

"The peaceful protests that we see in the US, involving many moving gestures, including by American police officers, are understandable and more than legitimate," he told reporters at a news conference.

"I can only express the hope that the peaceful protests don't turn violent, and even more the hope that they will have an impact," he added.