Los Angeles:
Actor Jaime King revealed she was arrested while protesting outside the Los Angeles mayor’s home. According to Fox News, the 41-year-old actor joined more than 1,000 people who gathered outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s residence in Hancock Park on Tuesday to demand that the Los Angeles Police Department undergo systemic changes in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The ‘Pearl Harbor’ star took to Twitter and wrote on Tuesday, “Currently arrested for a peaceful protest. Writing in handcuffs in back of bus. EVERYONE WAS PEACEFUL. – Jaime and the rest of my sisters on this bus. 77th precinct.”
Roughly an hour later, she followed up that tweet with an update alleging police were mistreating her: “Currently still on the bus for over 4 hours. Took us from 77th precinct to San Pedro. Women w/no access to vital meds, bathrooms, bleeding through their pants. They are laughing at us. #BlackLivesMattter.”
The ‘Sin City’ actor has been using social media to advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement and to amplify voices that she feels need to be heard right now. Hours before her arrest, King reflected on the ongoing situation in an Instagram posted Tuesday.
“Black voices matter, black stories matter, and black lives matter,” she wrote. “How we use our voices and our platforms is important. It isn’t enough to just say black lives matter and go back to our carefully curated social media squares. We have to use our influence to uplift and raise the voices of those that can change the world. It’s a privilege to be able to walk out the door without fear that you won’t walk back in because the color of your skin was seen as a threat. It’s a privilege to have the platform that I have and to be able to be heard.”
Her statement on Instagram came along with a note pledging to amplify fellow actor Krystina Arielle Tigner’s voice, explaining that she’s been using her own social media platform to “bring awareness to the struggles that she and other Black people face on a daily basis.”
The ‘Barely lethal’ star was one of more than 1,000 protesters gathered outside Mayor Garcetti’s house. The crowd appeared to remain peaceful, with no reports of vandalism or looting in the immediate area, as demonstrations following the May 25 death of Floyd continued across the U.S.
People have been protesting against police brutality, specifically against the black community, in the wake of a shocking video that shows Floyd being taken into custody by an officer who places his knee on his neck.
In the footage, Floyd, shouts “I cannot breathe” and “Don’t kill me,” before losing consciousness. He was later pronounced dead. Officer Derek Chauvin was later charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in his death.
