Published 16:57 IST, May 29th 2020
George Floyd death: Fred VanVleet says 'real work' is done on streets, not social media
George Floyd death: Toronto Raptors guard Fred Vanvleet claims 'real work' is done on the streets and not on social media in a recent Twitter post.
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George Floyd's death has sparked scenes of madness across America, especially in the city if Minneapolis. Local residents are taking to the streets to protest George Floyd death at the hands of four police personnel earlier this week. George Floyd reportedly died in police custody while he was handcuffed. The 'George Floyd death' story went viral after a video of the incident emerged on social media which spread like wildfire. Popular NBA stars such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Magic Johnson, Steph Curry and others have expressed their outrage over the incident on their respective social media handles. Most recent NBA personality to comment on the situation is Toronto Raptors guard - Fred VanVleet.
Minneapolis riots, Minneapolis protest scenes
Current view from Hwy 55 bridge looking down towards 3rd Precinct police hqtrs & Target store on East Lake. Fires seemingly in every direction. #minneapolisriots #GeorgeFloydprotest @FOX9 pic.twitter.com/uj4eADe3fw
— Paul Blume (@PaulBlume_FOX9) May 29, 2020
Also Read | Stephen Jackson hits out at 'privileged' Michael Porter Jr over George Floyd death remark
George Floyd death
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet says 'real work' is done on streets, not social media
Social media posts is cool to voice your opinion but the real work is still and always will be in the streets! Stand on it🤐💯
— Fred VanVleet (@FredVanVleet) May 28, 2020
Fred Vanvleet, who won the NBA championship with the Raptors last season, posted the above tweet on his official Twitter handle on Thursday. The Raptors guard spoke about how it is important to voice your opinion on social media but also reminded the public that the actual change is brought about on 'the streets' and rightly so. The Minneapolis protests have now entered day three. Yesterday, it was reported that protestors looted a Target store in Minneapolis and burned down the entire store as an act of defiance against the rampant police brutality against African-American citizens like George Floyd.
George Floyd death
Why was George Floyd killed?
The answer to the question 'Why was George Floyd killed?' is unknown as of now. The video which went viral shows that Floyd was arrested by police personnel from his vehicle. He was handcuffed and thrown on the ground in broad daylight while four police personnel sat on him. Derek Chauvin, one of the officers involved in the incident, had his knee placed on George Floyd's neck as the latter pleaded 'I Can't Breathe'. The four officers have been suspended from the force for the time being. However, protestors demand that these four need to be charged with homicide due to the grievous nature of the crime.
George Floyd death
Twitterati respond to Fred Vanvleet's comment
He's not knocking starting conversation on social media. He's reminding us that there's work to do outside of that. A good portion of humanity has forgotten that. All of us.
— 360º (@doeboy360_) May 28, 2020
My friend posted something like that. I asked her what we can do. She said starting the conversations in the real world. Advocating when you see racism going down on behalf of the victim so those that find it unacceptable become loudest. It’s not everything, but it’s a start.
— RaptorsGirl - RIP Kobe & GiGi Bryant 💜💛 (@RaptorsGirl99) May 28, 2020
Also Read | Why was George Floyd killed? Kaepernick tweets ‘Rest in Power George Floyd’ in the wake of Minneapolis riots
16:56 IST, May 29th 2020