Artists plea for police to stop using rubber bullets at US protests
Kacey Musgraves and singer-songwriter Victoria Monét are among a host of artists who have called on the police in the US to ban the use of rubber bullets.
Halsey revealed she was among a number of people who have been hit by rubber bullets during recent peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd.
“[The police] fired rubber bullets at us. We did not breach the line. Hands were up. Unmoving. And they gassed and fired,” Halsey posted recently with photos of the altercation.
“This hit me through layers of fabric and for that, I am extremely privileged. At close range it would have caused serious injury.”
A petition to stop the use of these rubber bullets https://t.co/KeD1P9hwFo
— Victoria Monét (@VictoriaMonet) June 1, 2020
I signed ? https://t.co/bbj4nVlKPC
— K A C E Y (@KaceyMusgraves) June 2, 2020
A petition has now been launched asking for a ban on the use of rubber bullets, which both Musgraves and Victoria Monét have supported.
“There have been various occurrences where peaceful protesters have been shot with rubber bullets by the police, despite them doing nothing wrong to begin with. Multiple people have been majorly injured from these rubber bullets,” reads the petition, which you can view or sign here.
Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis on May 25 following an altercation with police officers. Floyd, who was African American, was killed when a white police officer appeared to kneel on his neck as he lay on the ground during an arrest. Former police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Meanwhile, people in the UK are being encouraged to undertake a peaceful protest from their doorsteps tonight (June 3) in support of Floyd and Black Lives Matter.
Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) is leading a “take the knee” protest to show support for the anti-racist protests that began in the US last week. The organisation is asking people to bend a knee at 6pm outside their homes.