Kaepernick calls for revolution & urges ‘fight back’ as ‘being civil only leads to death’ after George Floyd death
COLIN Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, has urged people to revolt and “fight back” following the death of George Floyd.
The former footballer turned civil right activist wrote on his Twitter page Thursday: “When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction.
“The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance.
"We have the right to fight back! Rest in Power George Floyd.”
Widespread anger erupted after a video went viral which showed one cop kneeling on 46-year-old George Floyd’s neck as he cried out for help, saying he was unable to breath.
He was later declared dead at hospital.
Four police officers in Minneapolis have since been fired.
They have been officially identified as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Kueng.
The shocking incident occurred as he was being arrested for allegedly using forged documents at a local deli.
The FBI has launched an investigation into Floyd’s death for a possible civil right violation.
Floyd’s family have called for the four officers to be charged with murder.
'FIGHT BACK'
Mr Kaepernick came to widespread attention four years ago when he kneeled during the national anthem to highlight racial injustice.
Kaepernick sat or kneeled repeatedly during the 2016 football season.
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," he told NFL Media at the time.
"To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.
"There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."
Mr Kaepernick is not the only sports person to condemn the incident.
Basketball player LeBron James posted a picture of Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem as a member of the 49ers in 2016 to raise awareness about inequality and what he sees as racist police brutality.
James's caption explained that tragedies like the one in Minnesota were why Kaepernick took a knee.
NBA star Stephen Jackson, who knew Floyd since the late 1990s from their days in Eastern Texas, has also spoken out about the death.
He told the : “I honestly want the death penalty for the cops because he casually, hand in his pocket, killed my brother.
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“No effort. He put no effort into killing him. Kneeled on his neck, had him cuffed, and just suffocated him.
“The only way that people are gonna feel like there's justice, and the only way these police are gonna stop killing people in broad daylight like it ain't nothing, is if they start dying too.”
In the footage Floyd did not have a weapon and didn’t not seem to appear to pose a threat to any of the officers but he was forced to the ground over claims he had resisted arrest.
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