“We have the right to fight back”: athletes reacted to the death of an African American detained by police

“If this does not bother you and does not cause indignation, then I don’t even know what to say

The death of 46-year-old African American George Floyd after being detained by police in Minneapolis caused serious resonance among representatives of various sports around the world.

NBA basketball player, Los Angeles Lakers striker LeBron James recalled how American football player Colin Kapernik refused to stand up in front of a friendly match during the US anthem in 2016 in protest against the “oppression of black people”.

"Now you understand? Or it’s still not clear, ”James wrote, attaching a photo of Kapernik standing on one knee and a shot from the video on which a policeman presses Floyd to the ground, pressing on his neck.  

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Posted by LeBron James (@kingjames) May 26, 2020 at 4:38 pm PDT

The six-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton “immediately” shared the post of a basketball player in the “story” of his Instagram.

Kapernik himself also reacted to what happened. 

“When civilized behavior leads to death, protest is the only natural reaction. Calls for peace will begin to pour in, but they won’t be heard because the violence turned into such resistance. We have the right to fight back! Rest in strength, George Floyd, ”said the soccer player on Twitter.

The last phrase, apparently, was a reference to Jay Z's documentary series “Rest in Strength” about the murder of 17-year-old African American Traivon Martin by civilian patrol George Zimmerman in 2012.

When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction.

The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance.

We have the right to fight back!

Rest in Power George Floyd

Another NBA basketball player Stephen Curry criticized the actions of law enforcement officers. Curry posted on Instagram a photo of Floyd's detention. 

“If this image does not bother you and does not cause you indignation, then I don’t even know. I see that many are trying to speak out about how they are sick of it and how angry they are about it. This is good, but at the same time it is the very reality in which we live ... George has a family. George did not deserve to die. He begged for help, and he was ignored, and this clearly indicates that his black life did not matter. George was killed. George was not a man for the policeman who slowly and deliberately took his life, ”Curry wrote on Instagram.

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Publication by Wardell Curry (@ stephencurry30) May 27, 2020 at 11:36 PDT

In turn, UFC light heavyweight champion John Jones admitted that over the years of martial arts, he “never experienced such torment”. 

“The officer pressed on his neck with such force that in this noose he could stay alive for a little less than six minutes ... When a man is handcuffed and screams that he has nothing to breathe, get off the hell from his chest or let him go neck ... The guy at some point literally began to cry and call mom. This employee did disgusting, ”Jones wrote on Twitter.

Some drew attention to the actions of not only the law enforcement officer, who pressed Floyd to the ground, but also his partner. For example, about this wrote the French center "Utah Jazz" Rudy Gober.  

“If you allow your colleague to treat another person like that without trying to stop him or dissuade him, you are as guilty as he is. A depressing picture for most good cops who take great risks by doing their work every day as they should, ”Gober said on Twitter. 

If you let your coworker do that to another human being without trying to stop him or talk to him out of it, you are as gulty as he is. Frustrating for the majority of good cops that take a lot of risk doing their job the right way everyday. https://t.co/HncJfZcVeD

At the same time, the Philadelphia Seventi Sixers basketball player Tobias Harris expressed the opinion that the second police officer was the only person who could save Floyd, but did not. And head coach of the Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr called the incident "disgusting" murder. 

Well-known American football player JJ Watt emphasized that the detention video is "outrageous."

“There is no explanation for this. That is, I personally do not see any sense in this. I just don’t understand how a man lying on the ground in handcuffs, most definitely detained and clearly asking for help ... I don’t understand, could it really be impossible to resolve the situation so that it would not lead to his death. I think it is necessary to deal with the incident with all severity, ”Watt quotes ESPN.

His colleague Demarkus Lawrence also spoke about what happened.

“Tired of being silent, tired of being angry. How can we feel safe if those who are called to protect us are killing us? When will minorities in America gain the freedom to be Americans? ”The athlete asks. 

DONE BEING QUIET AND DONE BEING ANGRY. HOW CAN WE FEEL SAFE WHEN THOSE MEANT TO PROTECT US ARE KILLIN 'US? !!!! WHEN WILL MINORITIES BE FREE TO BE AMERICANS IN AMERICA !?

In turn, Los Angeles Clippers defender Isaiah Thomas admitted that he was scared for his “black children”. He wrote that he prays to God so that they "do not get into a mess with the participation of the police" who "can kill them."  

The former NBA basketball player Stephen Jackson, who knew Floyd closely and was friends with him, reacted emotionally to the incident. 

“I promise, I won’t leave it like that. Already talked to Sean King (famous American human rights activist. - RT ). Everyone from Houston and Coney Homes, you know that it was my brother. You can’t leave it like that. Everyone needs support, ”Jackson said.  

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Publication by Stephen Jackson Sr. (@ _stak5_) May 26, 2020 at 9:03 PDT

Finally, Denver Nuggets defender Michael Porter Jr. called for prayer not only for Floyd, but also for the police.  

“Although it is difficult, pray for them instead of hating them ... Pray that the Lord will change their hearts,” the basketball player wrote.

“At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are investigating a sad and tragic death.”

George Floyd died in Minneapolis on May 25 after being detained by police. The incident was filmed by eyewitnesses.

The two-minute video shows that law enforcement officers handcuffed a man. One of the officers knee pressed Floyd's head to the asphalt. An African American tried to ask for help and explained that he was suffocating. However, his words were ignored.

The police also did not respond to requests from eyewitnesses, who indicated that the detainee had lost consciousness.

A Black man was murdered last night by the Minneapolis Police Department after being choked and having a knee placed on his neck for up to 10 minutes. This man was MURDERED. MURDERED. # BlackLivesMatterpic.twitter.com / C85N7OTJhr

Based on the data from the Minneapolis State Police, law enforcement officers came to the call about a possible forgery of documents (local media reported that Floyd allegedly tried to pay with a fake check).

“Two policemen arrived at the scene and found a suspect, a man aged 40 to 50 years old, sitting in his car. Stepping out of it, the man began to renderphysical resistance to the cops. They managed to handcuff him, and they noticed that the detainee needed urgent medical attention. The police called an ambulance. The man was taken by ambulance to the medical center of Hennepin County, where he soon died, ”the report says.

It also suggests that the African American might be intoxicated or intoxicated.

The news of the death of Floyd quickly spread throughout the city and provoked riots. Protests have not subsided for several days. In particular, those displeased threw bottles and stones at the police building. In response, law enforcement officers used tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades.

What was happening was not disregarded by US President Donald Trump, who expressed condolences to Floyd and his family and promised that justice would prevail.

“At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already thoroughly investigating the very sad and tragic death of George Floyd in Minnesota. I asked to expedite this investigation and I am very grateful to the local law enforcement agencies for the work done, ”the president wrote on Twitter. 

At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd ....

And Minnesota Governor Tim Wals said he should continue to respond to "systematic" manifestations of discrimination, "of which too many have happened."

He also ordered the involvement of US National Guard fighters to maintain order and “protect peaceful demonstrators, neighbors, and small businesses in the state.”

In turn, the Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, introduced an emergency regime in the city.