Sophie Turner Explained Why She’s Still Protesting George Floyd’s Death After A Fan Criticised Her For Attending A Black Lives Matter Protest
"This is about Breonna Taylor, this is about Trayvon Martin, this is about Eric Garner, this is about the systemic racism that black people have faced for hundreds and hundreds of years."
Over the last week, celebrities across the world have been speaking out, donating, and protesting in support of the Black Lives Matter movement following the killing of George Floyd in police custody on May 25.
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Floyd died begging for breath after a Minneapolis police officer used a knee chokehold on his neck for eight minutes.
The police officer in question was later charged with second-degree murder, while three further officers who were there at the scene face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
One celebrity who's been very vocal about the cause is Sophie Turner. Last week, the actor — who's currently pregnant with her first child — shared a post on Instagram amplifying the voices of a series of Black activists.
"My heart is heavy," she wrote in the caption of her post. "I stand in solidarity with those speaking out against racism and fighting for justice and equality. Silence is not an option. While my voice is not one that needs to be heard, I want to highlight some of those we should listen to."
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She went on to provide the handles to the following accounts: @rachel.cargle, @nowhitesaviours, @indyamoore, @taranajaneen, @munroebergdorf, @tamikadmallory, @the_yvesdropper, @kaepernick7, @emmadabiri, @thekingcentre, @thegreatunlearn, @ibramxk.
Then on Saturday, Sophie and her husband, Joe Jonas, attended a Black Lives Matter protest in California, along with their friends Greg Garbowsky and Paris Carney.
And last night, Sophie shared a series of photos from the protest, alongside a caption reading: "No justice, no peace #BlackLivesMatter."
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In one of the photos, Sophie could be seen holding a sign that read: "White silence is violence." She also shared a video of the crowd chanting while taking a knee.
However, while her post was generally positively received, one follower left a comment asking why Sophie was continuing to protest now that the police officers involved in George Floyd's death had been arrested and charged.
The user has since deleted the comment.
And Sophie wasted no time in responding, explaining that the protests weren't just about "those 4 cops", but rather an attempt to dismantle "hundreds and hundreds of years" of systemic racism.
"This isn't just about those 4 cops," Sophie wrote. "This is about Breonna Taylor, this is about Trayvon Martin, this is about Eric Garner, this is about the systemic racism that black people have faced for hundreds and hundreds of years."
"This is about changing the system," she added. "Justice will be done when society reflects our beliefs that we are all equal. Until then, there should be no peace."
Sophie's response has gone on to amass over 7,000 likes.