Eric Garner Chokehold Death Ignites Celebrity Support on Twitter: Chris Rock Tweets, 'This Was on Tape' & More Outraged as Family Speaks Out [VIDEO]
Last night (Dec. 3), America erupted with strong emotions over a Staten Island grand jury's decision to not indict the cop who strangled Eric Garner. Celebrities shared their emotions on Twitter and some even took to the streets.
For the second time, in a span of days, a grand jury has decided to not indict a cop for killing an unarmed black man. After news broke in Ferguson over Michael Brown and Darren Wilson, many hoped that New York would decide to indict the cop who strangled Staten Island local Eric Garner, especially after the worldwide protests and riots. But, the jury sided with the officer, despite the entire incident being on tape. New York Mayor Bill Deblasio recently instated the new cop cameras in an effort to record every incident, and to hold members of the police officers more accountable.
Still, Eric Garner's chokehold was filmed. In fact, the young man who taped the video is under investigation for doing so.
Celebrities Tweet in Support of Michael Brown's Family
As the times grow more and more frustrating, social media has become an important outlet to express personal feelings. In response to the case decision, various celebrities spoke out against the lack of justice presented in this matter.
The very vocal actor Jessie Williams stated:
Our history books- our culture of expansion & consumerism are comprised almost entirely of "justifiable" violence. Practice makes perfect.
— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) December 4, 2014
. And several other celebrities joined in and rapper J.Cole even protested in the streets of NYC:
"Man of the people, not above but equal" "@OfficialJoelF: J.Cole spotted at the Eric Garner protest in NYC tonight pic.twitter.com/SIDvcWwP9V" — Dieu Avec Nous (@anesu_puwai) December 4, 2014
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Make sure you do something to let YOUR government know how you feel when something is unjust., not JUST your followers on twitter...
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) December 4, 2014
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eric garner. no indictment. indictment just means a question of facts. they decided there was no need to question... — Gina PrinceBythewood (@GPBmadeit) December 3, 2014
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I can't take it anymore! It's Enough, and enough is enough! Honestly my emotions are all over the… https://t.co/QW6XmgUEDk
— Diddy (@iamdiddy) December 3, 2014
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This one was on film. https://t.co/Zm7DKL09ok — Chris Rock (@chrisrock) December 3, 2014
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I wouldn't feel right posting anything else before saying my heart hurts today. — John Mayer (@JohnMayer) December 3, 2014
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SMDH....God the world is crying for your help. This really makes me sad. All I can do is pray & I plan on doing ... https://t.co/hWGE9vJal4 — Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 3, 2014
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In addition to the celebrity outpouring, protests around the country drew media coverage and the hashtag #ericgarner has trended since the story broke. The power and instant sharing methods of Twitter allowed many to share information on where to meet and more.
Hundreds of Protesters Gathered in NYC After the Eric Garner Decision https://t.co/OcgNdk4StT — Its Simply Elegance (@urespecialday) December 4, 2014
. The NYPD officer, Daniel Pantaleo, issued an apology statement and Eric Garner's family responded to it in their own powerful words, represented by Garner's widow, Esaw.
Also, Al Jazeera recently released a video of Eric Garner's step-father consoling a bystander to the incident.
EXCLUSIVE: 'Keep the peace, we all are hurting': #EricGarner's family urges calm https://t.co/1jeZZT8zng — Al Jazeera America (@ajam) December 4, 2014
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