UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones took to Albuquerque, New Mexico’s streets, and prevented some vandalization. He confronted two teenagers on the street and took away their spray cans. Jones did so to prove that “this is not the way” to protest George Floyd‘s murder.
A video surfaced on Monday morning showing Jones following two teenagers. He snatched the spray can from one and then headed toward the second. Jones continued repeating “give me the spray can” while the teenager said that he hadn’t done anything. The UFC fighter took the second can away and then headed off into the night.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Jon Jones confronted two teenagers and confiscated their spray cans in a video posted to Instagram.
His accompanying message expressed frustration, but urged that vandalism is “not the way.” (via @JonnyBones) pic.twitter.com/q9wZGMMPn6
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 1, 2020
“Is this s— even about George Floyd anymore?!? Why the f— are you punk a— teenagers destroying our cities!?? [cursing emoji] As a young black man trust me I’m frustrated as well but this is not the way, we are starting to make a bad situation worse. If you really got love for your city (505), protect your s—. All you old heads need to speak up, call your young family members and tell them to come home tonight,” Jones posted on Instagram.
There have been protests, both peaceful and violent, in the days following Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis. Some demonstrators have taken to the streets to show unity while some have set fires and destroyed buildings. Jones saw the potential for damage in the streets of Albuquerque and tried to shut it down.
“These guys are the definition of punks. Just using this situation as an opportunity to cause damage for the sake of it,” one Twitter user commented after watching the video. Several others joined in the conversation, but they were more focused on a different aspect. They wanted to know why the teenagers had to be told multiple times to hand over their spray cans and said that Jones “would only have to ask once” before they did what he asked.
According to KRQE, overnight protests took place in Albuquerque and turned violent. Protesters started fires and smashed windows of businesses in the downtown area. Jones was nearby during the incidents, and he reportedly urged people to go home.
“We live here, we all live here and that’s just what doesn’t make sense,” Jones said. “We live here, we’ve got to go eat at these same restaurants tomorrow, we have to take our kids for a walk and see the inappropriate gestures and words written all over the walls.”
