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George Floyd protests: Keke Palmer asks National Guard soldiers to 'march with us'

‘Hustlers’ star said taking the knee was ‘not enough’

Isobel Lewis
Wednesday 03 June 2020 09:14 BST
Actress Keke Palmer asks National Guard soldiers to 'march with us' at protest

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Actor Keke Palmer implored a member of the National Guard to “stand with the community” and join protests for Black Lives Matter.

In a clip shared to Twitter by NBC News reporter Gadi Schwartz, the Hustlers star is seen asking a group of soldiers to stand up for what’s right and disavow President Donald Trump’s warning that “once the looting starts, the shooting starts”.

Palmer said: “You have a president that’s talking about the second amendment as a use for people to use firearms against the people that are protesting. This is the message we’re seeing. I don’t know if you’re on social media because the news don’t tell you everything.

“You have to pay attention to what is going on. We have a president that’s trying to incite a race war. The borders are closed, we can’t leave. You have people in here that need your help, this is when we need your help. Y’all stand with the community, with society to stop the governmental oppression, period.”

With one member of the guard saying that he agreed, Palmer continued: “So march beside us. Let the revolution be televised, march beside us and show us that you’re here for us. Make history with us, please.”

As chants of “march with us” began, a different soldier told the former Nickelodeon star that he couldn’t leave the area he was controlling, prompting her to ask: “What is there to control? March with us, it will send a huge message, you and your men, protect us.”

With the officers refusing and only agreeing to take the knee in solidarity, Palmer said: “OK. I’m at a loss. I don’t know. That ain’t enough for me. That ain’t enough. March with us.”

Protests for Black Lives Matter have continued to spread across the US following the death of George Floyd, who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes.

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