Kesha has issued a statement on the death of George Floyd, and the issue of police brutality.
The 33-year-old American singer took to Instagram to address the matter;
"I never felt like it was my place to comment on the issue of racist police brutality, and that is part of the problem. What is happening in this country right now is horrific," Kesha wrote.
"The murder of black people, because they are black, by law enforcement, or anyone else is a tragedy every time. I have never had to fear because of the color of my skin, and I know that’s something I will never understand. That’s white privilege.
Racism has never been okay, yet it is part of the history of this country, a sickening part. Racism is very much alive and fueled by a president who calls white supremacists “very fine people” and then threatens protesters with being shot in a time when so many are suffering. It’s embarrassing, nauseating, and infuriating. Being a white person, I know I will never understand how racism feels. I stand for equality and I can’t just be silent while the president encourages violence and does nothing to help heal people’s suffering but rather makes it worse. What is happening right now is bigger than a hashtag. Black lives matter. George Floyd matters. Spread LOVE not hate."
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 Chauvin had been detained and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. He was arrested by the state’s bureau of criminal apprehension.
Floyd's family has since released a statement calling Chauvin's arrest a "welcome but overdue step on the road to justice” and added that members “expected a first-degree murder charge" - which they still demand.
"The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and spilling out on to streets across [the country]," the statement added.
The statement concluded by saying:
"Today, George Floyd's family is having to explain to his children why their father was executed by police on video. It's essential that the City closely examines and changes its policing policies and training procedures to correct for the lack of proper field supervision; the use of appropriate, non-lethal restraint techniques; the ability to recognize medical signs associated with the restriction of airflow, and the legal duty to seek emergency medical care and stop a civil rights violation."
Under Minnesota law, a first-degree murder charge would require prosecutors to prove Chauvin’s actions were willful and premeditated.
In footage of the arrest, George Floyd can be heard pleading for help - repeatedly telling officers that he couldn't breathe. He then became unresponsive during the arrest and was later pronounced dead.
Watch a news report on protests in Minneapolis below, where a white CNN journalist describes how differently he was treated by police at the demonstration: