Published 06:46 IST, June 3rd 2020
Lewis Hamilton 'overcome with rage at blatant disregard for the lives of black people'
Hamilton said the past few days had been difficult for him and he had felt 'anger, sadness, and disbelief' over the killing of George Floyd.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has once again spoken about the discrimination faced by people of colour not only in USA, but across the globe. On Tuesday, Hamilton said that the past few days had been difficult for him and he had felt 'anger, sadness, and disbelief' over the killing of George Floyd and the insensitive handling of the protests. He has also urged people to speak up on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Hamilton expresses frustration over Floyd's death
"This past week has been so dark. I have failed to keep hold of my emotions. I have felt so much anger, sadness and disbelief in what my eyes have seen. I am completely overcome with rage at the sight of such blatant disregard for the lives of our people. The injustice that we are seeing our brothers and sisters face all over the world time and time again is disgusting, and MUST stop," Hamilton posted on his social media accounts.
He added, "It is only when there are riots and screams for justice that the powers that be cave in and do something, but by then it is far too late and not enough has been done. It took hundreds of thousands of peoples complaints and buildings to burn before officials reacted and decided to arrest Derek Chauvin for murder, and that is sad."
"Unfortunately, America is not the only place where racism lives and we continue to fail as humans when we cannot stand up for what is right. Please do not sit in silence, no matter the colour of your skin. Black Lives Matter."
Hamilton has repeatedly spoken about the discrimination faced by people of colour, especially in Formula One. Earlier this week, he criticised the silence of fellow racers on the US administration's handling of the protests and the issue of racism.
Floyd's death
46-year-old George Floyd suffered a cardiac arrest while being restrained by Minneapolis police, the post mortem report found. The report stated that Floyd died as "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression". A video went viral in which a white police officer is seen kneeling on Floyd's neck despite Floyd's continuous plea stating that he could not breathe. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter and is scheduled to appear in court this week. Three other police officers have been fired.
For six consecutive days, there has been widespread protests around the United States. Tensions and violence continue to escalate in many areas including outside White House, with protesters demanding justice for Georgy Floyd and his family.
Updated 06:46 IST, June 3rd 2020