Billie Eilish, Justin Timberlake and other celebrities are using their social media platforms to bring attention to the death of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta on Friday.
Brooks was shot and killed, at a Wendy’s drive thru in the city, by officers, and since protests have erupted in Georgia over the death, during the third week of nationwide Black Lives Matter protests.
The postings on Sunday called for justice for Brooks, as an autopsy revealed he was shot twice in the back, according to CNN.
Heartbreaking: Billie Eilish, Justin Timberlake and other celebrities are using their social media platforms to bring attention to the death of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta on Friday
Sharing a photo of Brooks holding one of his three children as a baby in the hospital, Timberlake said ‘as a dad, this photo hurts.’
‘#RayshardBrooks was a father of three girls…1, 2, and 8 years old,’ the singer wrote. ‘He should not be dead.’
He continued to list other black people who recently died, including two black trans women.
‘Neither should #RiahMilton, #DominiqueFells, and #RobertFuller,’ he continued. ‘This week, these four innocent people became victims of racism, violence, and intolerance.’
Saddened: Sharing a photo of Brooks holding one of his three children as a baby in the hospital, Timberlake said ‘as a dad, this photo hurts.’ ‘#RayshardBrooks was a father of three girls…1, 2, and 8 years old,’ the singer wrote. ‘He should not be dead’
He continued to call for justice for Breonna Taylor, the then 26-year-old EMT who was shot and killed in her Kentucky home while sleeping.
Timberlake said: ‘And we’re still waiting for Justice for #BreonnaTaylor. I’m heartbroken for their families and for this country’
‘The system needs to change,’ he wrote. ‘It has repeatedly shown us that Black people in America are not safe. I’ll follow up with more resources and ways to help. Continue to SAY THEIR NAMES. #BlackLivesMatter.’
Eilish also posted in honor of Brooks on Sunday, sharing a grab from the officer’s body camera footage, that showed Brooks speaking with officers for over 25 minutes calmly, before being shot.
From the scene: Billie Eilish also posted in honor of Brooks on Sunday, sharing a grab from the officer’s body camera footage, that showed Brooks speaking with officers for over 25 minutes calmly, before being shot
Explicit: ‘F*** THIS S***,’ the Bad Guy singer continued. ‘JUSTICE FOR RAYSHARD BROOKS. F*** THIS S***. #justiceforrayshard !!!! WHY ISNT EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT THIS’ (pictured in 2020)
She has been vocal about racial injustice since the death of George Floyd, on Memorial Day, in custody of Minnesota police that sparked nationwide protests for BLM.
‘man F***,’ she wrote. ‘Watching this video made me so f*****g angry.’
‘F*** THIS S***,’ the Bad Guy singer continued. ‘JUSTICE FOR RAYSHARD BROOKS. F*** THIS S***. #justiceforrayshard !!!! WHY ISNT EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT THIS??’
Her brother, and producer, Finneas echoed her sentiments in a post of his own.
Siblings aligned: Billie’s brother, and producer, Finneas echoed her sentiments in a post of his own (pictured together in 2020)
F’d up: ‘Justice for Rayshard,’ Finneas wrote. ‘This is so f****d up man. And such a good example of EXACTLY what’s so f****d up about the police in America’
‘Justice for Rayshard,’ he wrote. ‘This is so f****d up man. And such a good example of EXACTLY what’s so f****d up about the police in America.’
The producer continued: ‘Asleep in his car in a parking lot. Shot to death. Don’t let yourself be numb to this. Don’t let the world stay this way.’
Kim Kardashian tweeted about the incident early on Sunday and shared a petition calling for charges and justice.
‘Justice for the murder of Rayshard Brooks. Please sign this petition to spread awareness for the murder of Rayshard Brooks,’ she wrote.
Sign the petition: Kim Kardashian tweeted about the incident early on Sunday and shared a petition calling for charges and justice. ‘Justice for the murder of Rayshard Brooks. Please sign this petition to spread awareness for the murder of Rayshard Brooks,’ she wrote
Don’t start: Sharing fan art of Brooks, Megan Thee Stallion posted ‘falling asleep in a Wendy’s drive through is NOT punishable by death. When we start cuttting tf up I don’t wanna hear what’s no acceptable on our part’
Showing up: The Houston born rapper has been vocal about racial injustice and joined the All Black Lives Matter protest in Hollywood on Sunday
Sharing fan art of Brooks, Megan Thee Stallion posted ‘falling asleep in a Wendy’s drive through is NOT punishable by death. When we start cuttting tf up I don’t wanna hear what’s no acceptable on our part.’
Since Floyd’s death police reform has been called for by activists and large groups, it has started to be addressed in major cities with Minneapolis disbanding their force and Los Angeles redirecting over $100m to other departments from the anticipated police budget.
The Atlanta officer who shot Brooks was fired and Police Chief Erika Shield resigned after the incident.
The District Attorney Paul Howard also told CNN ‘[Brooks] did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone, and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable,’ and that charges against officers could come by Wednesday.