Jaylen Brown isn’t the only Celtic speaking out about George Floyd’s death.
Marcus Smart attended a protest Sunday night in Boston, as did Vincent Poirier, according to NBC Sports Boston’s A. Sherrod Blakely. Smart sported a “despite color or gender” hoodie and stopped to tell Blakely why he was there.
“It’s not right,” Smart said. “So we’re going to have to come out here and have our voice be heard because we stand for the truth. We stand for justice. And we won’t stop until we get justice.
“And that’s really what this is about. And I just want to say to every one that thinks this is something more than it is: It’s not. Despite color or gender, the truth is the truth. Justice is justice.
“And justice hasn’t been served and people are pissed off about it. So we’re here to keep George Floyd’s name alive and keep it going in his legacy. Something has to change, and we’re here trying to make a change.”
Though Floyd was handcuffed, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for an extended period of time until the 46-year-old man became unresponsive. Video of the incident surfaced with Floyd repeatedly telling Chauvin he couldn’t breathe and calling out for his deceased mother.
Protests have continued across the country.
On Saturday night, Brown drove 15 hours to Atlanta to lead a peaceful protest of his own. He posted an Instagram video encouraging others to follow his lead.
“Being a bystander is no longer acceptable,” Brown wrote. “If you and your friends are around or are witnesses to cultural biases, micro-aggressions, subtle acts of racism, actual racism etc. and you don’t speak up on it or do something about it, you are part of the problem. We’re past the point where if it’s not in your governance space so you have nothing to do with it. If you don’t speak up on these issues, you just as bad.”
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In Massachusetts, the protestors have Governor Charlie Baker’s blessing.
“If people choose to protest, we need to make sure they have the ability to do that,” Baker said Friday. “We hope people protest peacefully but honestly, a moment like that, an event like that, I can’t imagine why people wouldn’t want to get out on the streets and make a point about it.”
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