George Floyd’s death sparked the efforts of Hollywood figures such as Seth Rogen and Janelle Monáe to post bail bonds for arrested protesters. Bail bonds are a form of bail payment that acts as securities to obtain the release of accused people from custody. It also acts as surety that accused persons will attend the trial.
More influential celebrities, including Steve Carell and Don Cheadle, promise to help those arrested during the peaceful protests over Floyd’s death. Several Hollywood stars like rappers Noname and Kehlani tweeted a screenshot of their $1000 donation to the Minnesota Freedom Fund to bail out protesters arrested during the Minneapolis protest. Such tweets influenced followers to contribute to the bail bond of detained protesters.
Other celebrities leveraging donations towards the Minnesota Freedom Fund include Gabriella Union, who tweeted her scare as a mother concerning police brutality, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen. In a tweet, Chrissy Teigen announced her commitment to donate $100,000 to help bail out protesters. The NACCP Legal Defense Fund received a $200,000 donation from Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, who encouraged their followers to follow suit.
Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis Police officer, arrested George Floyd for allegedly paying for cigarettes with a $20 counterfeit bill. Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd and pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck until he ran out of breath. When the video of Floyd begging the police officer to let him breathe surfaced, hundreds matched to protest the death of the 46-year old within the Minneapolis areas and beyond.
A day after the death of Floyd, the Minneapolis Police Department fired the four police officers present during Floyd’s death. On Friday, law enforcers arrested and charged ex-officer Chauvin with manslaughter and third-degree murder. The Hennepin County Attorney, Mike Freeman, confirmed his anticipation of more charges against Chauvin and the other three officers, Tou Thai, Thomas Lane, and Alexander Kueng, who were at the scene.
Across the U.S., protesters continue to decry Floyd’s murder and police brutality towards Black people. Most protesters hope for an upgrade of Chauvin’s charges to first-degree murder. The protesters also focused their attention on previous police brutalities, such as the killers of an unarmed Louisville woman, Breonna Talyor, shot dead by police in her apartment.
Harry Styles posted a tweet of his support for anti-racism while commending the protesters’ efforts with black lives matter hashtag. Footballer Colin Kaepernick that pioneered an anti-racist movement against police brutality, recently established a campaign titled “Know your Rights” for the arrested protesters to access free legal representation.
The latest donor of bail payment for arrested protesters is the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast that donated $100,000 through the National bail Fund Network. So far, the Minnesota Freedom Fund accounts for more than $20 million in donations to facilitate the bailing out of protesters across the country. More so, the Non-profit organization pledges to direct some donations to Gorge Floyd’s family. Make your donation today to help bail the protesters against police brutality and the premature death of Floyd.
