Riverdale actor, Cole Sprouse, has said that he was arrested in Southern California while taking part in a protest over the death of George Floyd.
Sprouse said that he was demonstrating peacefully with a group of friends in Santa Monica on Sunday when he was detained by law enforcement.
The 27-year-old shared details of his arrest in a lengthy post shared to Instagram, where he stressed that he did not want to distract from the Black Lives Matter movement.
"A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica," he wrote. "So before the voracious horde of media sensationalism decides to somehow turn it about me, there’s a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter."
"Peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest. the media is by nature only going to show the most sensational, which only proves a long standing racist agenda. I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica. We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested."
"When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us. It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement," Sprouse continued.
"This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me, and I hope the media doesn’t make it such. This is, and will be, a time about standing ground near others as a situation escalates, providing educated support, demonstrating and doing the right thing. This is precisely the time to contemplate what it means to stand as an ally. I hope others in my position do as well. I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps. I’ll speak no more on the subject, as I’m (1) not well versed enough to do so, (2) not the subject of the movement, and (3) uninterested in drawing attention away from the leaders of the #BLM movement. I will be, again, posting the link in my story to a comprehensive document for donations and support."
George Floyd, an African-American man, was arrested by Minneapolis police on Monday, May 25th, for reportedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a store. While being detained, Derek Chauvin - a 19 year veteran of the force - knelt on his neck for eight minutes, which resulted in him losing consciousness, and later passing away.
Protests, both peaceful and violent, have since broken out across the country, with people demanding that all four officers involved be brought to justice.
On Friday it was revealed that Derek Chauvin, the fired police officer recorded kneeling on Floyd's neck, had been detained and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
More on Chauvin's arrest below:The 19-year veteran was arrested by the state’s bureau of criminal apprehension.
Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman revealed in a statement: "We are in the process of continuing to review the evidence. There may be additional charges later."
