Halsey, More Celebs Take Part in George Floyd Protests

Protests have been raging in the U.S — some peaceful and others violent —  since an unarmed black man, George Floyd died in police custody, on May 25.

The protests were not only in response to Floyd's tragic death but also to protest against the death of Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others in recent months.

Protesters took to streets in an outpouring of rage after the crime was recorded is a video, which was taken by an onlooker on Monday night, who witnessed the fatal encounter between police and Floyd.

The footage was widely circulated on social media and showed him lying face down and handcuffed, gasping for air and groaning for help while repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.” as a white officer held him down by the neck with his knee for more than seven minutes.

Floyd, 46, allegedly tried to pass counterfeit bills at a corner eatery, was taken by ambulance from the scene of his arrest, and declared dead the same night at a hospital.

The city identified the four officers as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J Alexander Kueng. It did not say who had his knee against Floyd’s throat and gave no further information.

The policeman and three fellow officers who participated in Floyd’s arrest were dismissed from the police department on May 28 as the FBI opened an investigation into the incident.

Halsey and more celebrities protests against George Floyd's Death

Many celebrities participated in protests across the United States over the last few days, in solidarity with the black community.

Among the celebrities protesting were Ariana Grande, Jamie Foxx, Halsey, John Cusack, Michael B. Jordan, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Kendrick Sampson, Paris Jackson, and countless others.

On Saturday, Sampson protested Floyd's death in Los Angeles, when the police fired rubber bullets at him and other demonstrators.

The incident was captured on Instagram Live and by a CNN broadcast, which also shows the 32-year-old actor Sampson backing away while being hit by an officer's baton.

https://twitter.com/MizTeeFranklin/status/1266870483984711680?s=20

In a lengthy post on Instagram, The "Insecure" star showed off his injuries, which included a bloody lip from the baton.

"Before you swipe - If you’re squeamish - warning - these are SOME my wounds up close. The most obvious are from rubber bullets. They look gross but I was blessed to be shot directly from close range and not have much worse, I've posted some in my stories." he said.

Sampson added: "These things HURT and are DANGEROUS. The dude was aiming for folks HEADS. Rubber bullets have killed folks and can cause permanent damage, brain damage, concussions, etc."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3bJBUhiOr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

On Saturday, Hollywood actor John Cusack took to Twitter, stating that police “came at me with batons” while attending protests in Chicago on Saturday and hit his bike as he attempted to film a burning car.

The 53-year-old actor took to the platform to share photos and videos of the protest, which occurred in the wake of Floyd’s tragic death.

Cops didn’t like me filming the burning car so they came at me with batons. Hitting my bike. Ahhm here’s the audio.” Cusack captioned another video of officers approaching him.

The footage was blurry as it was filmed at nighttime however, shouts (presumed to be of law enforcement) are heard in rapid succession: “Get out of here! Move! Get out of here! Get the f— out of here now! Get out of here, let’s go!”

Cusack can be heard saying, “Alright, alright, alright, I’m going.”

[caption id="attachment_129944" align="aligncenter" width="680"] Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello take part in George Floyd protests[/caption]

On Sunday, Cabello and Mendes, who have been quarantining together, were spotted walking alongside demonstrators. Mendes was seen holding a "Black Lives Matter" sign while Cabello walked ahead of him with her sign.

The pair have also spoken out about Floyd's death on social media.

Cabello took to Instagram, saying, "I’ve been trying to find the right words to say after I saw the video where George Floyd’s life is being taken from him with impunity... I am so sorry to George Floyd’s family and Ahmaud Arbery’s family, And Breonna Taylor’s family and to the countless other black families that have their children and parents being taken away from them."

"I stand with you in outrage and I have called Minnesota Governor Walz, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, their numbers and what to say is on the ACLU website, and I urge you to please call, please sign the petitions, and let’s stand together for justice. We need a change, we can’t afford to be silent, and we can’t afford a society that’s indifferent to others pain. #BlackLivesMatter #WeCantBreathe" she added.

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US native Halsey and her ex-boyfriend, Doncaster-born Yungblud, real name Dominic Harrison, joined the protesters in Los Angeles, with them both encouraging their fans to join the cause.

Halsey stated on Twitter that she was hit by a rubber bullet while protesting Floyd's death in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The "colors" singer posted several videos on the platform, featuring the police attempt to disperse crowds of people protesting using tear gas and rubber bullets.

Halsey also shared in a post on her Instagram Story a bruise on her body, which she said got from a rubber bullet.

https://twitter.com/halsey/status/1266913515052261376

Many celebrities and public figures also took to social media to speak out about the ongoing protests, including Nicki Minaj, Tyler Perry, Britney Spears, Serena Williams, Lorde, Paris Hilton, Ellen DeGeneres, Kris Jenner, and others.

Popstar Nicki Minaj spoke out about the killing, the injustice between cops and civilians, and strongly encouraged her fans to get involved in the fight for change.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA5w9hnDx1G/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Rihanna penned a lengthy post about the killing of Floyd, and the agony of his death has caused her and the nation.

"For the last few days, the magnitude of devastation, anger, sadness I’ve felt has been overwhelming to say the least! Watching my people get murdered and lynched day after day pushed me to a heavy place in my heart! To the point of staying away from socials, just to avoid hearing the blood curdling agony in George Floyd’s voice again, begging over and over for his life!!!"

She added: "The look of enticement, the pure joy and climax on the face of this bigot, murderer, thug, pig, bum, Derek Chauvin, haunts me!! I can’t shake this! I can’t get over an ambulance pulling up to an arrest, a paramedic checking a pulse without removing the very thing that’s hindering it! Is this that fucking normal??? If intentional MURDER is the fit consequence for “drugs” or “resisting arrest”....then what’s the fit consequence for MURDER???! #GeorgeFloyd #AhmaudArbery #BreonnaTaylor".

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