LeBron James shares Twitter video of peaceful protest in Colorado over George Floyd killing
LeBron James took to social media Sunday to share video of a peaceful, powerful protest in Colorado following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.
The 35-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star posted a video on Twitter showing thousands of protesters Saturday at Colorado’s Capitol as they laid face down with hands behind their backs while chanting ‘I can’t breathe,’ which were some of Floyd’s last words before he died on May 25 in Minneapolis.
‘Media showing this???? I bet you they’re not. You know why, cause this is unity, peaceful, beautiful and love!,’ James tweeted for his roughly 46.2 million followers.
Protest video: LeBron James, shown in January in New York City, took to social media on Sunday to share video of a peaceful George Floyd protest in Colorado
The protesters in the video chanted ‘I can’t breathe’ for nine minutes, which is roughly the length of time that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee of Floyd’s neck. Chauvin has since been fired, arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
The peaceful protest video was originally posted by the Colorado Times Recorder on its Twitter page and it has amassed 7.4 million views on the platform.
The Colorado Times Recorder is a small news site that produces original journalism with a nonpartisan, progressive orientation.
James also took to Instagram on Sunday with a stark message.
Bet on: ‘Media showing this???? I bet you they’re not. You know why, cause this is unity, peaceful, beautiful and love!,’ James tweeted for his roughly 46.2 million followers
‘If YOU ain’t wit US, WE ain’t with Y’ALL!,’ he wrote in a black-and-white letters for his roughly 65.4 million followers.
James earlier spoke out on social media after unarmed black man Floyd died at age 46 with an Instagram post that referenced Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback who kneeled during the playing of the US national anthem to protest against racial injustice.
The post showed a photo of Chauvin pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck next to a photo of Kaepernick kneeling while playing for the San Francisco 49ere.
Stark message: ‘If YOU ain’t wit US, WE ain’t with Y’ALL!,’ James also wrote in a black-and-white letters for his roughly 65.4 million followers on Instagram
‘This…. … Is Why,’ James captioned the images.
He also wrote: “Do you understand NOW!!??!!?? Or is it still blurred to you?? #StayWoke”.
James has been married since 2013 to his high school sweetheart Savannah Brinson, 33.
Family picture: James is shown in September 2018 in Los Angeles with wife Savannah and sons Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri
They have sons Bronny, 15, Bryce, 12, and five-year-old Zhuri together.
The NBA star previously spoke out about racial injustice at the 2016 ESPYS in Los Angeles in the wake of police killings of two black men.
James and the Lakers were in first place in the Western Conference with a record of 49-14 and already had clinched a spot in the playoffs when the NBA season was suspended on March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Racial injustice: NBA players Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and James spoke onstage against racial injustice at the 2016 ESPYS on July 13, 2016 in Los Angeles
First place: The Akron, Ohio native, shown in January in Los Angeles, and the Lakers were in first place in the Western Conference when the NBA season was suspended on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic