Dennis Rodman has addressed the country’s ongoing unrest in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The NBA Hall of Famer took to Instagram Sunday to call for an end to looting in cities across the country. “We’re human beings, not f–king animals,” Rodman said in a video he captioned “Rest in Power George Floyd.”
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Many businesses in cities including Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis and Atlanta were looted and torched over the weekend as protests against police brutality escalated into violence.
“I think someone needs to come out and say, ‘Hey, guys, why are we looting? Why are we stealing? Why are we creating more issues, more problems?’” Rodman said
“This is a bad, bad situation. But the fact that you’re gonna protest, protest in the right way. You don’t have to go and burn down things, steal things, burn things and stuff like that,” he added.
George Floyd died on May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer held him down with a knee on his neck. Video recorded by an onlooker showed the African American man pleading “I can’t breathe,” while officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, continued to apply pressure to his neck.
The Minneapolis Police Department said Floyd was suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a store.
Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Although Rodman expressed sympathy and understanding for the peaceful protests underway, he told his social media followers that resorting to violence is not the answer. He also reminded everyone that the country “had enough issues” with the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.
“Please understand … we have to live together,” said Rodman.
