Nike says ‘Don’t Do It’ on racism
overhead as the state braced for more rioting, arson and looting, with locals saying much of the violence was being perpetrated by outsiders.
In Houston – where Floyd was born and raised – an old friend of his, Sam Osborne, said as an African American he feared for his life.
“I’m really messed up they killed him up. I’m wondering like, what could possibly happen to me?” he told AFP.
Houston’s mayor announced at a press conference that Floyd’s body would be brought back to the Texas city.
At least eight states – including Texas, Colorado and Georgia – activated the National Guard, who were also deployed around the White House to help handle the protests there.
In Washington, protesters faced off with secret service agents outside the White House for a second straight night.
Looting occurred in Miami, where a curfew was also announced, while in New York mayor Bill de Blasio said a video appearing to show an NYPD police car drive into protesters in Brooklyn was “upsetting” but that he did not blame the officers.
Protests are expected to continue even after Chauvin, the now-fired Minneapolis police officer accused of Floyd’s death, was arrested and charged with third-degree murder on Friday. — AFP
SAN FRANCISCO: Nike has taken a stand against racism with a “Don’t do it” campaign, a twist on its famous catch phrase, as protests against police brutality spread across the United States.
“For once, Don’t Do It... Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America,” the US sports apparel giant said in a video posted to Twitter late Friday.
The message came as protesters across the United States took to the streets against the treatment of George Floyd, an African
American who died in the hands of police in Minneapolis earlier this week.
In a rare sign of solidarity, competitor Adidas retweeted the video, with a message stating: “Together is how we move forward. Together is how we make change.”
“Don’t turn your back on racism. Don’t accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don’t make any more excuses. Don’t think this doesn’t affect you,” Nike said in the video, in which white words appear across a black background. — AFP