Colin Kaepernick And Other Prominent Athletes Demand Justice For George Floyd
by Tommy BeerTOPLINE
The gruesome video of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man who died Monday evening in Minnesota after being handcuffed and pinned down by police, went viral on Tuesday, prompting Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James and a multitude of other prominent pro athletes to call for justice on various social media platforms.
KEY FACTS
The arrest of Mr. Floyd took place on Monday evening after four Minneapolis officers responded to a call about a man trying to use forged documents at a supermarket; a bystander video shows an officer pressing his knee into Floyd's neck during the arrest, as he repeatedly says, "I can't breathe," and, "Please, I can't breathe."
After a few minutes, Floyd, lying face down in the street with his hands cuffed behind his back, became silent and motionless; the officer continued to pin Floyd's neck to the pavement with his knee. (The case has drawn troubling comparisons to the 2014 death of Eric Garner.)
Throughout the day on Tuesday, influential athletes took to Twitter and Instagram to voice their outrage.
LeBron James posted an image of the officer kneeling on Floyd's neck alongside a photo of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem, with the words "This… Is Why."
As a caption, James added, "Do you understand NOW!!??!!?? Or is it still blurred to you??" and Kaepernick shared the same split image on his Instagram stories.
Other notable athletes that expressed similar sentiments include Odell Beckham Jr., Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, and Lisa Leslie, and many prominent white players and coaches, such as Chirs Long and Steve Kerr, who tweeted, "This is murder. Disgusting. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with US????"
Critical quote:
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." — Colin Kaepernick, Aug. 26, 2016
Key Background:
Floyd's death is now under investigation by the FBI and state law enforcement authorities. Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis said the officer in question used an unauthorized move. "Being black in America should not be a death sentence," said a visibly shaken Frey on Tuesday. "For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a black man's neck. Five minutes. When you hear someone calling for help, you're supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense." Frey has announced that the four officers involved in the case had been terminated. Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said Tuesday that he had "stayed up all night," wrestling with his decision to fire the officers. On Tuesday evening, hundreds of people gathered at the intersection where Floyd died, protesting the conduct of the officers.
Further Reading: