Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers showed support Sunday for the recent wave of protests in cities throughout the United States, so long as those protests do not “get carried away in violence and looting.”
Sunday marked the sixth day of protests following the death of George Floyd — the black man who died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis.
The list of cities with protest movements included Houston, where Floyd grew up and where his body will soon be laid to rest.
Beneath a collage of photos on Instagram, which included images of police embracing protesters to show empathy, Rivers wrote:
So beautiful. Enough is enough. And to see people of all races protest together can only make me smile. This is past due. To think in 2020, ignorance and racism still exists heavily in our country/world… is so disappointing and disgusting.
But we all have a voice and chance to work together to try and better things. I truly believe we, as African Americans, are having a moment… a crucial one… and we need to use this light to better our surroundings and quality of life in America. Please everyone continue to try and be safe. I love the protests!
However, Rivers added that people trying to take advantage of the situation to “rob, steal, and hurt… should be ashamed.”
But let’s not get carried away in violence and looting and forget why we are here. To the people out there taking advantage of this situation to rob and steal and hurt… you should be ashamed of yourself. Robbing a Gucci store does nothing for our cause and only distracts and disrupts what all these protests are truly about. It’s about EQUALITY! And giving people of color a better chance at life, and better way of life! A true safe, peaceful, and equal way at life! Love you all, please stay safe!
Austin, of course, is the son of Doc Rivers, who coaches the Los Angeles Clippers. The elder Rivers, who noted that his father (Austin’s grandfather) was a 30-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, also issued a statement on the recent wave of protests.
“Too often, people rush to judge the response, instead of the actions that prompted it,” Doc Rivers wrote. “We have allowed too many tragedies to pass in vain. “This isn’t an African-American issue. This is a human issue. Our society must start getting comfortable with the uncomfortable conversation, and do the right thing. Silence and inactivity are not acceptable anymore. Now is the time to speak.”
— doc rivers (@DocRivers) May 31, 2020
The latest information on the protests is available at usatoday.com.
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