Celebrities react over the death of George Floyd

George Floyd

Celebrities from Beyonce, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, Ariana Grande,Cardi B,Khalid, Taylor Swift, Doja Cat, Demi Lovato expressed their pain after a video surfaced about an unarmed black man,George Floyd who died after being pinned down by his neck by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The incident began when officers were called to a report of a customer attempting to use a counterfeit $20 bill at a store. The four Minnesota police officers involved were fired on Tuesday afternoon and the FBI is now investigating.

Police were filmed kneeling on the handcuffed man’s neck for at least eight minutes, despite Mr Floyd saying he couldn’t breathe. The 46-year-old security guard was later pronounced dead in hospital.

Megan Thee Stallion and Khalid shared a widely-circulated image, quoting what George Floyd said as he died: “Please I can’t breathe. My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. They’re going to kill me.”

“We have an extremely, inherently racist and corrupt police system,” Lizzo said on her Instagram.

“Now I’m not saying that every police officer is a racist person and a murderer but I am saying that at the core of the police organisation there is a system of racism and corruption.”

Beyoncé paid her respects by changing the homepage of her website to a photo of Mr Floyd with the message: “Rest in Power George Floyd.”

Cardi B wrote: “Enough is enough! What will it take ? A civil war ? A new president? Violent riots ? It’s tired ! I’m tired ! The country is tired !You don’t put fear in people when you do this you just show how coward YOU ARE ! And how America is really not the land of the free !”

Ariana Grande wrote on her Instagram story : “Justice is not just about specific officers being arrested. it’s about dismantling the systems that make it possible.”

Demi Lovato wrote; “Do not let your discomfort surrounding social issues prevent you from speaking up for those IN DANGER.

“Until this STOPS COMPLETELY – THE BLACK COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE IN DANGER. DO YOUR PART. THIS INVOLVES YOU TOO. #GeorgeFloyd, I hope you RIP because it isn’t fair so many didn’t do their part to ensure you lived in peace “.

Doja Cat encouraged her 1.6 million followers to sign a petition calling for “Justice for George Floyd”, which has close to half a million signatories, and shared a link to the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund.

The fund was set up by George’s sister Philonise Flloyd to “cover funeral and burial expenses and to assist my family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George” and has so far raised over $360,000.

There have been protests across the US following Mr Floyd’s death, which many Americans have cited as the latest example of systemic police brutality against African American citizens. -culled from CapitalFM

This is really sad, especially with everything happening in the world right now. R. I.P George Floyd #Stopkillingus #blacklivesmatter.

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