Condemning the slogan which opposed the Black Lives Matter movement, the 'Bad Guy' hitmaker stresses that it is an unnecessary distraction from the real issue.
- Jun 1, 2020
AceShowbiz - Billie Eilish has slammed fans for promoting the slogan All Lives Matter amid protests following the death of African-American George Floyd.
The Minnesota native's death at the hands of white police officers on Monday, May 25 has prompted a week of riots across the U.S., with activists demanding action against police brutality and racism.
Taking to Instagram, the "Bad Guy" star joined the likes of Drake, Rihanna and others in condemning Floyd's death, before urging her followers not to repeat 'All Lives Matter' - a slogan adopted by those opposing the Black Lives Matter anti-racism movement.
"I've been trying to take this week to figure out a way to address this delicately," Billie wrote. "I have an enormous platform and I try really hard to be respectful and take time to think through what I say and how I say it... But holy f**king s**t I'm gonna just start talking."
"IF I HEAR ONE MORE WHITE PERSON SAY 'aLL liVeS maTtEr' ONE MORE F**KING TIME IM GONNA LOSE MY F**KING MIND (sic)," she continued. "WILL YOU SHUT THE F**K UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP???? NO ONE ELSE IS SAYING YOUR LIFE DOESNT MATTER. NO ONE IS SAYING YOUR LIFE IS NOT HARD."
The singer, 18, went on to explain: "If all lives matter why are black people killed for just being black. Why are immigrants persecuted? Why are white people given opportunities that people of other races aren't...".
Insisting the underlying issue is "white f**king privilege", Billie went on to call All Lives Matter an unnecessary distraction from the real issue.
"If your friend gets a cut on their arm are you gonna wait to give all your friends a bandaid first because all arms matter (sic)? NO youre gonna help your friend because THEY are in PAIN because THEY are in need because THEY ARE BLEEDING. if someones house was on fire & someone is stuck in the house, are you gonna make the fire department go to every other house on the block first because all houses matter??? NO! BECAUSE THEY DON'T F**KING NEED IT."
The protests have also prompted Lady GaGa and Beyonce Knowles to speak out. The "Poker Face" singer took to Instagram to vent her frustration about the death of George Floyd.
"I am as outraged by the death of George Floyd as I have been by the deaths of exponentially too many black lives over hundreds of years that have been taken from us in the country as a result of systemic racism and the corrupt systems that support it," GaGa wrote. "The voices of the black community have been silenced for too long and that silence has proven deadly time and time again. And no matter what they do to protest, they are still met with no compassion by the leaders that are meant to protect them. Everyday people in America are racist, that's a fact."
She also took aim at U.S. leader Donald Trump, adding: "We have known for a long time that President Trump has failed. He holds the most powerful office in the world, yet offers nothing but ignorance and prejudice while black lives continue to be taken.
"We have known he is a fool, and a racist, since he took office. He is fueling a system that is already rooted in racism, and racist activity, and we can all see what is happening. It's time for a change."
"We MUST show our love for the black community. As a white, privileged woman, I take an oath to stand by that. We haven't, as a privileged community, done enough to fight racism and stand up for those people who are being killed by it."
Meanwhile, Beyonce has posted a video online, calling for justice for George Floyd, who was killed when a white cop kneeled on his neck during a street arrest until he lost consciousness.
"We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight," the singer says. "We're broken and we're disgusted. We cannot normalise this pain. I'm not only speaking to people of colour. If you're white, black, brown or anything in between, I'm sure you feel hopeless by the racism going on in America right now."
"No more senseless killings of human beings. No more seeing people of colour as less than human. We can no longer look away. George is all of our family and humanity. He is our family because he is a fellow American. There have been too many times that we've seen these violent killings and no consequences. Yes, someone's been charged, but justice is far from being achieved."
Derek Chauvin, the cop whose actions led to Floyd's death, was arrested on Friday and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He and the other three officers involved in the arrest have all been dismissed from the force.
