CW: Violence and police brutality.
Following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man who was killed by police while under arrest, millions around the U.S. have taken to the streets and peacefully protested against police brutality and the systemic racism towards black Americans in the country’s legal and judiciary system. The protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement are still going and, as of writing, on its seventh consecutive day.
Want to learn more about the movement, donate and get involved? Click here.
And, proving this is an issue for everyone, some of our fave celebs joined the movement over the weekend and reminded us all that “this is more than a post, we have to show up.”
From Ariana Grande to Camila Cabello, here are the celebrities who have shown their support of the movement and protests and inspire us to take action.
Ariana Grande
Yesterday, Ariana Grande marched with her new BF Dalton Gomez in a protest in Los Angeles, sharing a clip of it on her Instagram.
“Again, I ask my followers to please keep signing these petitions, making donations if [yo]u are able to, continue having conversations w[ith] family and friends about racism (overt and covert) and the senseless acts of murder that happen in this country far too often,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post.
“Please keep reading up, following accounts on here (I will recommend some!) to keep [yo]u updated and learning and sharing links and resources… our black friends need us to show up and to be better and to be vocal. Now more than ever. Online. Offline even more so. This is more than a post. We have to show up. There is work that needs to be done and it is absolutely on us to do it.”
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello
Couple Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello were also spotted marching together in Miami.
According to E!, Cabello, who recently opened up about her experience with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) wrote, “I’ve been trying to find the right words to say after I saw the video where George Floyd’s life is being taken from him impunity… I am so sorry to George Floyd’s family and Ahmaud Arbery’s family, and Breonna Taylor’s family and to the countless other black families that have their children and parents being taken away from them.”
“I’ve been trying to find the right words for days,” added Mendes in a tweet. “I feel sick to my stomach.”
“Hearing the sound of his voice crying for help is bone chilling and it fucking breaks my heart. I’m so sorry that this injustice keeps happening. I Can’t imagine what life dealing with racism so constantly is like.”
“As a white person, I not only recognise that this is a problem but that I am part of the problem. That it has long due been time to not only “not accept” racism, but to become anti-racist.”
“We need to start to really listen and help amplify black voices . To make their struggles known and to reject racism.”
And really, nothing is more romantic than marching in solidarity and being politically active together.
Halsey and Yungblud
Over the weekend, Halsey and ex-boyfriend Dominic Richard Harrison, also known as Yungblud, reunited and marched on the frontlines of a protest in LA, too.
Halsey streamed the protest on Instagram Live, showing her and the rest of the crowd peacefully protesting, raising their hands and chanting “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” and George Floyd’s name. Seconds later, the police started firing tear-gas and rubber bullets into the crowd, which Halsey tweeted hit her.
Fair warning, the videos below are a bit distressing so people who might find this material triggering are advised not to watch.
Timothée Chalamet
Little Women star Timothée Chalamet also attended a protest in Santa Monica with his father and sister holding a white sign with “George Floyd” and other words that are hard to read in the below footage. The actor and Girlfriend fave also shared resources on racial injustice and how to be a better ally on Instagram.
Billie Eilish
While pop star Billie Eilish hasn’t been seen at a protest as of yet, she used her 63.6m follower platform to educate fans on the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and what it really means.
“I’ve been trying to take this week to figure out a way to address this delicately. I have an enormous platform and I try really hard to be respectful and take time to think through what I saw and how I say it… But holy f**king s**t I’m just gonna start talking,” the 18-year-old multi-Grammy-award-winning singer wrote.
“Right now in this moment… we have to address hundreds of years of oppression of black people. The slogan of #blacklivesmatter does not mean other lives don’t. It’s calling attention to the fact that society clearly thinks black lives don’t f**king matter! And they f**king do!”
Harry Styles
While he’s known for casually championing a gender-fluid style of dressing, Harry Styles has also used his platform to shine a light on various social issues. As well as not consuming meat and advocating for LGBTQI causes, the singer has now joined other celebrities in condemning the police brutality that led to George Floyd’s death.
In a post that was shared to his Instagram and Twitter profiles, Styles wrote, “I do things every day without fear, because I am privileged, and I am privileged every day because I am white. Being not racist is not enough, we must be anti racist. Social change is enacted when a society mobilizes. I stand in solidarity with all of those protesting.”
He added that he is donating to help bail out protestors who’ve been arrested, and encouraged people to look inwards, educate themselves and others.