Movie mogul and actor Tyler Perry took to social media on Saturday to urge rioters to stop the violent protests that raged on across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death, proclaiming, “looting is not the answer.”
“I’m not in Atlanta, but if I were I would have been standing with our Mayor! But there was nothing I could say better than what Mayor [Keisha Bottoms] said last night!” Perry said Saturday. “Please, please stop this violence!!” he added. “Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!!!”
I’m not in Atlanta, but if I were I would have been standing with our Mayor! But there was nothing I could say better than what Mayor @KeishaBottoms said last night! Please, please stop this violence!! Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!!! Continued: https://t.co/yePGJUaGVV
— Tyler Perry (@tylerperry) May 30, 2020
“And listen to me, be careful where you are getting your information to JOIN protests!!” continued Perry. “There are people and other countries who are posting things pretending to be US, pretending to stand for peaceful protest, but they are trying to incite us into violence and chaos to try and do more harm!!”
“Do not fall for this foolishness!!!” Perry affirmed. “Please stop the violence!” His calls for piece came after rioters vandalized CNN’s Atlanta offices.
George Floyd died on Monday after former police officer Derek Chauvin was seen pressing his knee onto his neck. On Friday, the state of Minnesota announced that Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
After Floyd’s death, protests ensued across the country, some of which later devolved into violent riots that have involved looting, buildings being set on fire, businesses destroyed, the White House going on lockdown, and people being beaten and killed.
Perry included a video in his tweet showing Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms speaking at a press conference.
“I am a mother to four black children in America, one of whom is 18 years old,” said Bottoms. “And when I saw the murder of George Floyd, I hurt like a mother would hurt.”
“And yesterday when I heard there were rumors about violent protests in Atlanta, I did what a mother would do,” she added. “I called my son, and I said, ‘Where are you?’ I said, ‘I cannot protect you, and black boys shouldn’t be out today.'”
Bottoms added that while she understands how people in the black community may be feeling, the activity in Atlanta is nonetheless “not a protest,” but instead, “chaos.”
“So you’re not going to out-concern me and out-care [me] about where we are in America,” affirmed Bottoms. “I wear this each and every day, and I pray over my children each and every day.”
“What I see happening on the streets of Atlanta is not Atlanta. This is not a protest,” she added. “This is not in the sphere of Martin Luther King Jr. This is chaos. A protest has purpose. When Dr. King was assassinated, we didn’t do this to our city.”
Bottoms continued by urging rioters to “go home” if they truly care about Atlanta.
“So if you love this city,” said Bottoms, “this city that has had a legacy of black mayors and black police chiefs — where more than 50 percent of the business owners in metro Atlanta are minority business owners — if you care about this city, then go home.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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