Nigerian stars mobilize against police violence

Nigeria, Lagos October 21, 2020: demonstrators still occupy the street (illustration).

UnEarthical / via REUTERS

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3 min

The situation remains very tense in Nigeria since the bloody crackdown on a peaceful protest on Tuesday.

The international community condemns this recourse to violence and on social networks calls for the resignation of President Buhari are multiplying, notably by Nigerian music stars such as Wizkid, Davido and Tiwa Savage.

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Nigerian stars take an important place in this protest.

Wizkid addresses the crowd at a protest in London.

Davido shows up alongside protesters in Abuja.

We're Dey disguise DICTATORSHIP as DEMOCRACY

  Davido (@davido) October 21, 2020

And if the photo of the green and white flag of Nigeria smeared with bloodstains has been around the Net, it is also thanks to Afrobeat singers like Yemi Alade or Mr Eazi.

Almost all of them have shared it on social networks with strong comments.

London protesters inspired by Nigerians 🚨 5 GBOSA from London🚨 #wizkid #EndsSARS #EndNASS pic.twitter.com/3kBDkZOhh6

  Lagos Pikin Reports (@LagosReports) October 15, 2020

In Nigeria, there is a culture of protest music.

We think of Majek Fashek, the duo P Square and of course Fela Kuti, with his

anti-militarist

track

"Zombie"

.

Until then, the young generation seemed mainly concerned with the staging of their social success.

The Black Lives Matter alarm clock

It is perhaps also the

Black Lives Matter

movement

against police violence in the United States that has raised awareness.

Black lives matter and some Nigerian artists often have a foothold in the United States, such as Atlanta-born Davido.

Wizkid is 30 years old, Burna Boy 29 years old, Davido 27 years old… The Nigerian stars are in phase with their young audience which is on the front line of repression.

On the other side of the Atlantic, responding to the call of Tiwa Savage, Beyoncé and her 155 million subscribers, Rihanna, and rapper Nicki Minaj gave a global echo to the struggle by denouncing police brutality and placing alongside their

Nigerian

“

 sisters and brothers 

”.

#ENDSARS 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/59lrs8JnDA

  Rihanna (@rihanna) October 20, 2020

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