On Saturday, Jaylen Brown of the Celtics drove to Georgia and helped lead a march to protest the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd shortly after a police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest. The next day, teammate Marcus Smart joined the fray, marching with protestors in Boston.
Fellow Celtics Enes Kanter and Vincent Poirier also joined protestors who met at the statehouse in Boston.
Asked about it on Tuesday, Celtics coach Brad Stevens gave his approval.
“I think it’s been great,” Stevens said, accoring to John Karalis of Masslive.com. “What’s happened has been appaling and brutal and hurtful and painful. … I think the NBA is amazing, I think the players are amazing. We’re lucky having such good people representing the Celtics.”
“I love the way Boston has represented,” Smart said, according to Boston.com. “Boston’s a second home, and we’re showing love.”
Protests in Boston did turn ugly later in the night on Sunday, but were peaceful during the day.
On Twitter, Smart posted an interview with NBC Sports’ Sherrod Blakely, and wrote, “The truth is the truth and justice is justice and justice hasn’t been served. We will continue to stand w George Floyd’s family including peacefully protesting. This must stop!”
✊🏾 Despite Color or Gender ✊🏾
The truth is the truth and justice is justice and justice hasn’t been served.
We will continue to stand w George Floyd’s family including peacefully protesting. This must stop! (@ASherrodblakely interview)
“Something so unjust as taking someone’s life and this isn’t the first,” Smart said, “there’s been plenty. We just had enough. We’re losing brothers, we’re losing fathers, we’re losing mothers. And it’s not right.”
Marcus Smart: ‘We Won’t Be Silent’
Smart also spoke with veteran Boston TV reporter Steve Burton at the scene of the protest:
We want justice. We want justice, and unfortunately, this is what we have to do to get it. And for us, we want you to know that we won’t be silent. Enough is enough. We’re tired of our loved ones, our brothers, our fathers, our sons being killed for nonsense, for nothing at all, with no justice being served. In America, unfortunately, it’s not about what you know, but what you can prove. Well, we can prove murder. We’ve seen the video. Everybody across the world has seen it. It’s nothing to justify it. What can you say to that officer to justify that killing? Nothing at all. There’s nothing to negotiate about, there’s nothing to be said. He’s supposed to be just like one of us, if one of us is out there and we committed this crime, we would be charged for it. Justice isn’t served until he’s behind bars.
Enes Kanter Marches in Boston
Kanter posted photos and videos from the protest. In one, a protestor walks up to a group of gathered police standing in formation and places a case of bottled water at their feet for them.
Kanter included a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. with the tweet: “I have decided to stick with LOVE. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
I have decided to stick with LOVE.
Hate is too great a burden to bear.
MLK
Kanter posted another quote with four photos from the Boston Common area:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only LOVE can do that.”
Kanter was reportedly chanting, “I can’t breathe,” with the crowd, which were among Floyd’s last words to the officer, Derek Chauvin (who has been arrested), who was kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes.
The previous day in Atlanta, Brown was shown carrying a sign with the words, “I Can’t Breathe,” written on it and leading a march from CNN headquarters to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial.
Poirier retweeted a report about the Celtics’ participation in the protests from WBZ in Boston.
ICYMI: @celtics release statement on #GeorgeFloyd protests & @EnesKanter @FCHWPO @viinze_17P @smart_MS3
join peaceful protests in #Boston and in @Atlanta @wbz
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Brad Stevens Approves as Marcus Smart, Celtics March in Boston Protests