American citizens across the nation have been speaking out and protesting in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man killed by officer Derek Chauvin after the cop knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. Over the past week, protesters around the country have been arrested amidst these demonstrations. Buzzfeed News has reported that actor Cole Sprouse is one of the many individuals who has been arrested for attending these protests, which has not only been calling for justice in Floyd’s case but has also addressed racial discrimination in the United States.
According to Buzzfeed News, hundreds of people gathered in Santa Monica in order to peacefully protest. The publication noted that another group descended on the 3rd Street Promenade, a popular tourist destination, and began vandalizing and looting businesses in the area. On Instagram, Sprouse addressed this recent incident. He shared that a “group of peaceful protesters, including myself, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica.” Sprouse went on to stress that “peace, riots, looting are an absolutely legitimate form of protest.”
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In his Instagram post, Sprouse explained that officers warned protesters that if they did not retreat that they would be arrested. He then shared that as some tried to retreat, they were met by another line of police officers blocking their path. While the Riverdale star recounted his recent arrest, he did note that he didn’t want this narrative to be about himself. Instead, he explained that the focus should be on the matter at hand — the Black Lives Matter movement.
“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,” Sprouse continued. “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.” Sprouse ended his post by sharing his support for Black Lives Matter and added that he would be posting important links related to the movement on his Instagram Story.
