Amid the hundreds of thousands of demonstrators who joined together after the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer, you may have recognized a few familiar faces. Celebrities like Halsey, Ariana Grande, Emily Ratajkowski, and more have stood strong and took to the streets in cities like Santa Monica, California, where police teargassed and fired rubber bullets at peaceful protesters. Some celebrities took things a step further and stood at the frontlines of the marches as the situation with police escalated. In some cases, stars were arrested.
Riverdale star Cole Sprouse was among those who were nabbed by police at the Santa Monica protest on June 1. After being released from custody, the 27-year-old let his fans know what was really important: lifting up the voices of the Black Lives Matter movement and continuing to fight for justice against police brutality. Cole isn’t the only famous protester who was taken into custody in Los Angeles, New York City, and other locations. Take a look at these brave protesters who won’t stand back while the world is on fire.
Cole Sprouse
“A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica,” Cole explained in a June 1 Instagram post. “So before the voracious horde of media sensationalism decides to somehow turn it about me, there’s a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter. Peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest. the media is by nature only going to show the most sensational, which only proves a long standing racist agenda. I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica.
“We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested,” he continued. “When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us. It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement. This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me, and I hope the media doesn’t make it such. This is, and will be, a time about standing ground near others as a situation escalates, providing educated support, demonstrating and doing the right thing.
“This is precisely the time to contemplate what it means to stand as an ally. I hope others in my position do as well. I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps. I’ll speak no more on the subject, as I’m (1) not well versed enough to do so, (2) not the subject of the movement, and (3) uninterested in drawing attention away from the leaders of the #BLM movement. I will be, again, posting the link in my story to a comprehensive document for donations and support,” he ended.
Jamie King
https://twitter.com/Jaime_King/status/1268054166196219905
https://twitter.com/Jaime_King/status/1268079410839556098
Actress Jaime King revealed in the early hours of June 3 that she, along with other women, had been arrested while protesting in Los Angeles. The Hart of Dixie star, 41, and a group of friends had been protesting earlier in the day outside Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti‘s house in Hancock Park. It’s unclear if that’s where she was arrested by the LAPD. “Currently arrested for a peaceful protest. Writing in handcuffs in back of bus. EVERYONE WAS PEACEFUL. – Jaime and the rest of my sisters on this bus. 77th precinct,” she tweeted at 1:37am.
The 77th police precinct is located in downtown Los Angeles, about 10 miles from Hancock Park. Shortly after 3:00am, Jaime tweeted again, alleging that she and other women were being mistreated by police. “Currently still on the bus for over 4 hours. Took us from 77th precinct to San Pedro. Women w/no access to vital meds, bathrooms, bleeding through their pants. They are laughing at us. #BlackLivesMatter”. Jaime retweeted other activists after this message, but didn’t provide any other updates about her situation.