Published 11:22 IST, May 30th 2020
Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas post strong statements over George Floyd's death
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas penned strong statements over the tragic death of George Floyd. The duo called for an end to racism.
The tragic death of George Floyd led to a huge uproar in the United States. Many influential people have been mourning Floyd's death while raising the bigger issue of racism with some strong statements. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas too have been deeply affected by the incident and have expressed their feelings on social media.
Taking to her Instagram handle, Priyanka Chopra shared the last words of George Floyd, “Please, I can’t breathe”, when he was pinned down by Police Officer Derek Chauvin. The actor wrote that more than the global level, one needs to start at an individual level to ‘educate ourselves’ and ‘end this hate.’
The Mary Kom star added that it was high time the ‘race war’ ends. Priyanka Chopra stated that whatever be the circumstances, ‘no one deserved to die’ at the hands of another because of one’s skin colour. Sharing the turn of events and questioning the silence of the other police officers, Priyanka wrote that she was praying for Floyd’s family and urged her followers to sign a petition seeking #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd.
Here's the post
Priyanka’s husband Nick Jonas had earlier shared a tribute artwork in honour of George Floyd, expressing his condolences and prayers to the family. The singer had termed the event ‘inexcusable’ while urging his fans to sign the petition.
In a new post on Friday, he termed the ‘blatant racism’ and ‘lack of leadership’ as ‘incredibly heartbreaking’. Nick Jonas added ‘justice needs to be served’ and that a situation where a person says ‘I can’t breathe’ at the hands of the law enforcement need not arise.
The incident had taken place on May 25 when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt at the back of Floyd’s neck, reportedly for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, while he laid handcuffed. Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on May 29. Many people took to streets to protest against the incident across the US after the incident, some of which turned violent as well.
Updated 11:22 IST, May 30th 2020