Colin Kaepernick isn’t just offering his moral support to the Minneapolis protesters angry about the death of George Floyd, he’s offering to pay their legal fees.
The former 49ers quarterback announced Friday that he has started a legal defense fund that would help protesters who are arrested hire lawyers. Know Your Rights Camp, Kaepernick’s organization, will be paying for the fund.
In solidarity w/ our brothers & sisters in Minneapolis, KYRC + @kaepernick7 established our Legal Defense Initiative to support Freedom Fighters on the ground. If you, or a loved one needs legal assistance, or to donate, go to https://t.co/BQO5g9f5wb #wegotus pic.twitter.com/5g3wn1wXso
— Know Your Rights Camp (@yourrightscamp) May 29, 2020
“In fighting for liberation there‘s always retaliation. We must protect our Freedom Fighters. We started a legal defense initiative to give legal representation to Freedom Fighters in Minneapolis paid for by @yourrightscamp,” he tweeted.
“For representation or to donate” the post continued, sharing a link.
Once directed to the site, the legal initiative outlines how they plan to help those who need representation.
“When there is an injustice within our community, it is our legal right to address it, by any means necessary. If you, or a loved one is in need of legal assistance, or has been arrested while fighting injustice in the Minneapolis area, please complete the form below with as much detail as possible,” the statement reads.
“Once you have completed the form and it has been submitted, one of our team members will be in touch as soon as possible.”
The message ends with a quote by civil rights leader Malcolm X. He declared that, “concerning nonviolence, it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.”
Protests have raged in Minneapolis following Floyd’s killing on Monday by former officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was arrested Friday after days of protest in Minneapolis after the unarmed, 46-year-old was killed Monday. According to the arresting record, Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8:46 and kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for 2:43 after he lost consciousness and pled for help.
Demonstrations in Minneapolis grew increasingly tense Tuesday night and the evenings after. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters as buildings were destroyed and even set ablaze.
Kaepernick, who settled a collusion case against the NFL after his anthem protests seemingly blackballed him from the league, broke his silence about Floyd’s death on Thursday.
“When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction,” Kaepernick wrote. “The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance. We have the right to fight back! Rest in Power George Floyd.”
READ MORE: Colin Kaepernick says protestors ‘have the right to fight back’ after death of George Floyd
The former NFL star’s words come just a few days after an image of Kaepernick and Floyd shared by Lebron James went viral. In the photo, Floyd’s final moments as he is pinned underneath the kneeling officer are juxtaposed to a photo of Kaepernick kneeling at an NFL game.
The image is captioned with: “This… …Is Why.”
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