Fresh violence in Portland, as police fire tear gas on protesters

Police and federal agents fired tear gas and forcefully dispersed protesters in the US city of Portland early Saturday, an AFP reporter said, during the latest demonstrations against racism and police brutality.

The city, the biggest in the state of Oregon, has seen nightly protests for nearly two months, initially sparked by the death in Minneapolis of unarmed African American George Floyd. 

It is also now the scene of a highly controversial crackdown by federal agents ordered by US President Donald Trump -- one that is not supported by local officials.

The inspector general of the US Justice Department on Thursday opened an official investigation into the federal crackdown.

Friday's demonstration was mainly peaceful, with crowds playing music and dancing, blowing soap bubbles and setting off fireworks.

But it ended -- like many before it -- in a showdown between protesters and police, which escalated in a haze of tear gas and flash-bang devices.

One group of protesters formed a line with umbrellas and makeshift shields to try to protect themselves, as at least two fires burned outside the fences around a federal courthouse.

Tear gas was first fired around 11:00 pm. By 2:30 am police and federal agents were clearing the scene outside the courthouse with tear gas, pushing protesters back. 

Earlier, protesters who spoke to AFP complained of the federal agents' presence in the city and voiced their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which helped drive demonstrations across the country for weeks after Floyd's killing.

"I don't like what's happening down here, what Trump is doing," Mike Shikany, a 55-year-old aerospace engineer, said, adding he did not "want to get anywhere near the little green men," meaning the federal troops.

Portland retiree Jean Mullen, 74, said that without pressure nothing would change. 

"It's time to become the country we always brag about being. And we can't brag anymore, about anything. We aren't first in anything and it's a terrible, terrible thing to see at the end of my life," she said.

Trump, who is campaigning for re-election in November on "law and order," also announced on Wednesday that federal agents in Chicago and other cities will be stepped up after a resurgence of crime and shootings.

Agence France-Presse

Black Lives Matter protests continue

Federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters near the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Monday, in Portland, Oregon, USA. Officers used teargas and projectiles to move the crowd after some protesters tore down a fence fronting the courthouse. 

-Noah Berger, AP-

JPMorgan drops terms 'master,' 'slave' from internal tech code and materials

NEW YORK -- JPMorgan Chase & Co is eliminating terms like "blacklist," "master" and "slave" from its internal technology materials and code as it seeks to address racism within the company, said two sources with knowledge of the move.

The terms had appeared in some of the bank's technology policies, standards and control procedures, as well in the programming code that runs some of its processes, one of the sources said.

Other companies like Twitter Inc and GitHub Inc adopted similar changes, prompted by the renewed spotlight on racism after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis in May.

The phrases "master" and "slave" code or drive are used in some programming languages and computer hardware to describe one part of a device or process that controls another.

"Blacklist" is used to describe items that are automatically denied, like a list of websites forbidden by a company's cybersecurity division.

"Whitelist" means the opposite - a list of items automatically approved.

Floyd's death has sparked a re-examination of words that might carry racial overtones. For example, some realtors are no longer using the term "master bedroom," and Universal Music Group's Republic Records stopped using the word "urban" to describe music genres and internal departments or roles.

JPMorgan appears to be the first in the financial sector to remove most references to these racially problematic phrases, and it comes after the bank has said it is taking other steps to promote Black professionals and anti-bias culture training for staff.

Columbia Business School programming professor Mattan Griffel said such terms have long been controversial and can be difficult to change.

The technology that underpins bank operations is often a spaghetti-like mess that results from merged companies, decades-old code and third-party systems, and any change can have cascading effects that are difficult to predict, Griffel said.

Changing these terms within the bank's code could take millions of dollars and months of work, Griffel said. "This is not a trivial" investment by the bank, Griffel said. "This kind of language and terminology is so entrenched. It has to (change) and now is as good a time as any."

-reuters-

New York introduces laws to combat police brutality

NEW YORK, United States - The state of New York on Friday adopted a series of laws designed to put an end to police brutality against the African-American community, a sign of the impact that nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd are having.

Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo officially signed 10 laws that the two houses of the state legislature passed earlier in the week.

Among the measures is a law forbidding chokeholds being used by law enforcement officers that was named in memory of Eric Garner, a black man suffocated by New York police in 2014.

The state also repealed legislation that designated as "confidential" any document pertaining to professional evaluations of police officers, including records of disciplinary proceedings.

In the future, the public, including members of the media, will be able to access such records through freedom of information requests, without requiring a court order.

After Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on May 25, the city police department revealed that Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed him by kneeling on his neck for nearly 9 minutes, had been the subject of 18 abuse complaints in his 20 years on the job.

The details of the complaints have not been revealed.

Floyd's death sparked widespread protests across the United States.

Cuomo also announced on Friday he would be signing an executive order obliging the state's almost 500 police departments to "develop a plan that reinvents and modernizes police strategies and programs in their community."

The measures address some of the key issues raised in the massive protests across the country, such as racial inequality, the excessive use of force by police, and transparency in the process of filing complaints against officers.

Any of the departments that have not adopted their new plan by April 2021 will lose their state funding, Cuomo said at a press conference, flanked by Democratic leaders of the state assembly and civil rights activist Al Sharpton.

"These bills mean some substantive change, so that we won't be sitting here going over this after the next situation," said Sharpton.

He said the threat of withholding funding from police departments that fail to implement change "is a model for where we ought to be, dealing with 21st century civil rights in this country."

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Redskins' Peterson vows to kneel during national anthem

Washington Redskins running back Adrian Peterson said he will kneel during the national anthem this season to protest racial injustice, and he doesn't plan to be the only player to do so.

Peterson made his feelings known to the Houston Chronicle in the aftermath of the comments made by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who said that players were "disrespecting the flag" by kneeling during the anthem. Brees later apologized for his comments.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested racial injustice in the United States by kneeling during the anthem in the 2016 season. Kaepernick has yet to sign with an NFL team since opting out of his contract with the 49ers in 2017.

"Years ago, seeing Kaepernick taking a knee, now we're all ready to take a knee together going into this season without a doubt," Peterson said.

When asked by the Houston Chronicle if he will take a knee, Peterson replied: "Without a doubt, without a doubt."

The NFL adopted a policy in 2018 that required players to stand for the national anthem, but allowed them to stay in the locker room during it if they chose. The league has since pulled the policy back after an agreement with the NFL Players Association.

Peterson, who played 10 seasons (2007-16) with the Minnesota Vikings, contends that more players will be taking a knee this season following national protests over the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

"We've got to put the effort in as a group collectively. Are they going to try to punish us all? If not, playing football is going to help us save lives and change things, then that's what it needs to be," Peterson told the newspaper.

Peterson, 35, is currently fifth on the all-time rushing list with 14,216 yards.

Peterson was a team captain and led Washington in attempts (211), rushing yards (898) and rushing touchdowns (5) last season.

Peterson has played in 164 career games. He currently ranks No. 8 in rushing attempts (3,036), No. 4 in rushing touchdowns (111) and No. 8 in yards per game (86.7) in NFL history.

Next up on the rushing list would be Barry Sanders, who is 1,053 yards ahead of Peterson and fourth on the all-time rushing list.

Peterson is 12 rushing touchdowns behind Marcus Allen for third all-time.

-reuters-

Gunman in Seattle protest

A man exits a vehicle with a gun as a man is tended to by medics after being shot by a driver who tried to drive through a protest against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Seattle, Washington, U.S. on Sunday. Protests persists in several major cities around the USA and the world calling for the end to racial inequality.

-reuters-

George Floyd, a 'gentle giant,' remembered in hometown Houston march

HOUSTON - George Floyd's hometown of Houston held a memorial march for him on Tuesday, where attendees recounted a "gentle giant" whose legacy had helped the city largely avoid the violent protests seen elsewhere in the United States.

The mayor's office said 60,000 people gathered downtown to honor Floyd, who died after a white police officer pinned his neck under a knee for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis on May 25.. Floyd's death has ignited protests across the country.

Floyd lived most of his 46 years in Houston's historically black Third Ward neighborhood, located about a mile south of the park where the march began. He moved to Minneapolis in recent years for work.

The memorial march was organized by well-known Houston rappers Trae Tha Truth, who was a longtime friend of Floyd's - and Bun B, who worked directly with Floyd's family for the event. Houston's mayor and police chief attended.

"We're gonna represent him right," Trae Tha Truth, whose given name is Frazier Thompson III, told the crowd of several hundred people gathered for the march. "We are gonna tear the system from the inside out."

He added: "George Floyd is looking down at us now and he's smiling."

After a prayer, the marchers exited the park and began to walk toward City Hall.

Democratic US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents portions of Houston where Floyd was raised, told the crowd that she would introduce police reform legislation in Congress on Thursday in honor of Floyd.

Mayor Sylvester Turner, who is black, said he understood marchers' pain and told them they were making an impact.

"People that are in elected office and positions of power - we are listening," Turner said. "It's important for us to not just listen, but to do. I want you to know your marching, your protesting has not gone in vain. George did not die in vain."

Houston has so far largely escaped the violent protests, with some attributing that directly to the legacy of Floyd himself.

"The people who knew George the best help set the tone for Houston. They knew what he was about. He truly was a gentle giant, a sweet guy," said David Hill, a Houston community activist and pastor at Restoration Community Church, who knows the Floyd family.

-reuters-

Zuckerberg defends no action on Trump posts after Facebook walkout

SAN FRANCISCO -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees on Tuesday that he stood by his decision not to challenge inflammatory posts by US President Donald Trump, refusing to give ground a day after staff members staged a rare public protest.

A group of Facebook employees - nearly all of them working at home due to the coronavirus pandemic - walked off the job on Monday. They complained the company should have acted against Trump's posts containing the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

Zuckerberg told employees on a video chat that Facebook had conducted a thorough review and was right to leave the posts unchallenged, a company spokeswoman said.

She said Zuckerberg also acknowledged the decision had upset many employees and said the company was looking into "non-binary" options beyond either leaving up such posts or taking them down.

One Facebook employee, who tweeted criticism on Monday, posted again on Twitter during the all-hands meeting to express disappointment.

"It's crystal clear today that leadership refuses to stand with us," Facebook employee Brandon Dail wrote on Twitter. Dail's LinkedIn profile describes him as a user interface engineer at Facebook in Seattle.

On Friday, Twitter Inc affixed a warning label to a Trump tweet about widespread protests over the death of a black man in Minnesota that included the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

Twitter said the post violated its rules against glorifying violence but was left up as a public interest exception, with reduced options for interactions and distribution.

Facebook declined to act on the same message, and Zuckerberg sought to distance his company from the fight between the president and Twitter. He maintained that while he found Trump's remarks "deeply offensive," they did not violate company policy against incitements to violence.

Twitter last week also put a fact-checking label on two Trump tweets containing misleading claims about mail-in ballots. Facebook, which exempts politicians' posts from its program with third-party fact-checkers, took no action on that post.

Timothy Aveni, a junior software engineer on Facebook's team dedicated to fighting misinformation, announced his resignation in protest over that decision.

"Mark always told us that he would draw the line at speech that calls for violence. He showed us on Friday that this was a lie. Facebook will keep moving the goalposts every time Trump escalates, finding excuse after excuse not to act," he wrote in a Facebook post.

Civil rights leaders who attended an hour-long video call on Monday night with Zuckerberg and other top Facebook executives called the CEO's defense of the hands-off approach to Trump's "incomprehensible."

"He did not demonstrate understanding of historic or modern-day voter suppression and he refuses to acknowledge how Facebook is facilitating Trump's call for violence against protesters," said a joint statement from leaders of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Color of Change.

Some critics posted calls on Twitter for Facebook's independent oversight board to weigh in. But the board will not review any cases until early fall, and users initially will only be able to appeal to the board about removed content, not content that Facebook has decided to leave untouched. The board, which can overrule Zuckerberg, will only review a small slice of content decisions.

Zuckerberg spoke with Trump on Friday, as first reported by news website Axios. 

-reuters-

NBA: Popovich rips 'deranged' Trump for lack of leadership

Enraged San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sharply criticized the lack of leadership shown by President Donald Trump and called him a coward in the wake of week-long protests surrounding the death of George Floyd.

Popovich told The Nation that Trump is "deranged" and incapable of saying "black lives matter" at a time when the nation desperately needs to hear those words from the leader of the country.

"It's unbelievable. If Trump had a brain, even if it was 99 percent cynical, he would come out and say something to unify people," Popovich told reporter Dave Zirin. 

"But he doesn't care about bringing people together. Even now. That's how deranged he is. It's all about him. It's all about what benefits him personally. It's never about the greater good. And that's all he's ever been."

Nationwide protests and demonstrations have erupted since Floyd, a black man, died in Minneapolis on May 25 while white police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for several minutes.

Popovich, a staunch critic of Trump, views the president as a detriment to the country.

"He's not just divisive. He's a destroyer. To be in his presence makes you die," Popovich told The Nation sports editor Dave Zirin. "He will eat you alive for his own purposes. I'm appalled that we have a leader who can't say 'black lives matter.' That's why he hides in the White House basement. He is a coward.

"He creates a situation and runs away like a grade-schooler. Actually, I think it's best to ignore him. There is nothing he can do to make this better because of who he is: a deranged idiot."

Popovich, who has won five NBA titles with the Spurs and ranks third all-time with 1,272 regular-season victories, said Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are failing at leadership.

"It's so clear what needs to be done. We need a president to come out and say simply that 'black lives matter,'" Popovich said. 

"Just say those three words. But he won't and he can't. He can't because it's more important to him to mollify the small group of followers who validate his insanity. But it's more than just Trump. The system has to change. I'll do whatever I can do to help, because that's what leaders do. But he can't do anything to put us on a positive path, because he's not a leader.

"It's like what (Senators) Lindsay Graham and Ted Cruz used to say when they had the courage to say it: He's unfit. But they have chosen instead to be invisible and obsequious in the face of this carnage. In the end, what we have is a fool in place of a president, while the person who really runs the country, Senator Mitch McConnell, destroys the United States for generations to come.

"McConnell has destroyed and degraded our judicial system. He has tried to destroy heath care. He's destroyed the environment. He's the master and Trump's the stooge, and what's funny is that Trump doesn't even know it. Trump's always wanted to be part of the in-group, but McConnell is an in-group of one and Trump plays the fool."

As for the protests surrounding Floyd's death, Popovich said those are needed but he would like to see better organization.

"It's frustrating. When Dr. (Martin Luther) King did a protest, you knew when to show, when to come back the next day. But if you're just organizing protests and everyone is coming and going in every direction, it doesn't work that way. If it was nonviolent, they knew to be nonviolent, but this is muddled.

"More leadership would be very welcome so these incredible mass demonstrations can't be used by people for other means. We can limit the bad, but only if things are organized better."

The whole situation is frustrating to Popovich.

"We need change. The system has to change. I'm willing to do my part."

-reuters-

Cole Sprouse arrested while protesting racial inequality

Hollywood actor Cole Sprouse was arrested in Santa Monica, California on Sunday while protesting racial inequality following the death of an African-American man, George Floyd, in police custody.

Sprouse shared the news himself through a lengthy post on his personal Instagram page.

“I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica. We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested,” he said.

“When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us,” he added.


According to the “Riverdale” actor, he is speaking up about the incident to stress that “this is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me, and I hope the media doesn’t make it such.”

“This is, and will be, a time about standing ground near others as a situation escalates, providing educated support, demonstrating and doing the right thing. This is precisely the time to contemplate what it means to stand as an ally. I hope others in my position do as well,” he said.

“I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps,” he added.

Sprouse then said he will no longer speak on the subject, citing three reasons.

“I’m (1) not well versed enough to do so, (2) not the subject of the movement, and (3) uninterested in drawing attention away from the leaders of the #BLM movement. I will be, again, posting the link in my story to a comprehensive document for donations and support,” he said.

Floyd died last week after a Minneapolis policeman knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. Floyd, who was handcuffed, became unresponsive after almost three minutes.

This incident has ignited violent reactions across America.

news.abs-cbn.com

Hamilton criticises F1 for staying silent on Floyd death

LONDON -- Six times Formula One motor racing champion Lewis Hamilton has criticised his sport for its silence on the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white U.S. police officer knelt on his neck.

The death in Minneapolis triggered a wave of outrage and violent protests in the United States.

Hamilton, Formula One's first black world champion, spends much of his time in America and spoke out on the issue in an Instagram story on Sunday.

"I see those of you who are staying silent, some of you the biggest of stars yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice," wrote the Mercedes driver.

"Not a sign from anybody in my industry which of course is a white dominated sport. I’m one of the only people of colour there yet I stand alone," he added.

"I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but you can’t stand alongside us. Just know I know who you...are and I see you."

In a second post, Hamilton added: "I do not stand with those looting and burning buildings but those who are protesting peacefully. There can be no peace until our so called leaders make change."

McLaren driver Lando Norris, Hamilton's compatriot, was one of those who did comment, adding a line to his profile on the Twitch streaming platform that said "sign the !BLM petitions #BLACKLIVESMATTER"

Canadian Nicholas Latifi, who is due to drive for Williams this season, said on Twitter 'This has to stop #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd."

Hamilton has spoken out before about the lack of diversity in motor racing.

"There really is the most minimal diversity within this sport and I really somehow want to be a part of shape-shifting that with Formula One," he said a year ago. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Lincoln Feast.)

-reuters-

NBA great Michael Jordan speaks out on death of George Floyd: 'We have had enough'

Basketball great Michael Jordan voiced outrage on Sunday over the death of George Floyd, a black man shown on video gasping for breath as a white policeman knelt on his neck in Minneapolis, an incident that has triggered violent nationwide protests.

Jordan said his heart went out to the family of Floyd and others who have died through acts of racism.

"I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry," Jordan, a Basketball Hall of Famer and owner of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Hornets, said in a statement. "I see and feel everyone's pain, outrage and frustration.

"I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough."


The comments from Jordan came as many U.S. cities were bracing for another night of unrest after cleaning up streets strewn with broken glass and burned-out cars as curfews failed to quell confrontations between protesters and police.

Jordan, a six-time NBA champion who was at the heart of the Chicago Bulls' dynasty in the 1990s, called on people to show compassion and empathy and never turn their backs on senseless brutality.

"We need to continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand accountability," said Jordan. "Our unified voice needs to put pressure on our leaders to change our laws, or else we need to use our vote to create systemic change.

"Every one of us needs to be part of the solution, and we must work together to ensure justice for all."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Peter Cooney)

-reuters-

Nike says "Don't Do It" on racism

SAN FRANCISCO -- Nike has taken a stand against racism with a "Don't do it" campaign, a twist on its famous catch phrase, as protests against police brutality spread across the United States.

"For once, Don't Do It... Don't pretend there's not a problem in America," the US sports apparel giant said in a video posted to Twitter late Friday.


The message came as protesters across the United States took to the streets against the treatment of George Floyd, an African American who died in the hands of police in Minneapolis earlier this week.

In a rare sign of solidarity, competitor Adidas retweeted the video, with a message stating: "Together is how we move forward. Together is how we make change."

Floyd's death on Monday was captured in a horrifying cellphone video now seen around the world, in which a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes until well after he went motionless, while three other officers stood by.

"Don't turn your back on racism. Don't accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don't make any more excuses. Don't think this doesn't affect you," Nike said in the video, in which white words appear across a black background. 

The campaign hardly marks the first time Nike, whose "Just Do It" slogan is known worldwide, has waded into US social justice issues.

In September 2018, Nike made waves when it released an advertising campaign featuring US football player and activist Colin Kaepernick, criticized for kneeling during the US national anthem at games in protest at racism.

Agence France-Presse

Burning Minnesota

Protesters gather to watch an apartment building burning near the Minneapolis Police third precinct on Wednesday as protests erupt in the aftermath of a police brutality case in Minnesota, United States. A white police officer was caught on a bystander's video pressing his knee into the neck of African-American man George Floyd, who later died at a hospital. 

-reuters-

US policeman fired over choking death of black man

NEW YORK, United States—A US police officer was sacked Monday for putting a black man in a banned chokehold just before he died 5 years ago in a case that fueled nationwide protests.

New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill fired Daniel Pantaleo with immediate effect over the death of 43-year-old Eric Garner during an arrest in July 2014.

The incident sparked "Black Lives Matter" protests calling for police to be held accountable for the deaths of unarmed African-Americans in custody or facing arrest. 

Garner's last words—"I can't breathe," which he repeated 11 times to Pantaleo—became a rallying cry for the demonstrators.

O'Neill's decision to dismiss Pantaleo came after NYPD Deputy Commissioner and departmental administrative judge Rosemarie Maldonado recommended earlier this month that he be fired.

"It is clear that Daniel Pantaleo can no longer serve as a New York City police officer," O'Neill said, adding that it had been a "difficult decision."

He said police officers had one of the hardest jobs in the world and that some would be "angry" with him, but he was absolutely sure he had made the right call.

"Make no mistake about it, this was a tragedy for the Garner family. I fully understand that. Mr Garner was somebody's son, somebody's dad. Everybody in the NYPD understands that," he told reporters.

Pantaleo was suspended pending the decision by O'Neill, who had the final say on the officer's future.

Four officers attempted to arrest Garner, 43, on suspicion of illegally selling cigarettes on a sidewalk in Staten Island on July 17, 2014.

In a video recorded by a bystander that went viral, Pantaleo can be seen putting his arm tightly around Garner's neck and driving the much larger suspect into the pavement before releasing him.

'SEMBLANCE OF JUSTICE'

Meanwhile, another officer pressed Garner's head to the pavement.

Garner, who resisted arrest but was unarmed, appeared to lose consciousness, and the father-of-6 was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A New York state grand jury decided in December 2014 that there was insufficient evidence to support homicide charges against Pantaleo, amid claims that Garner suffered from a heart condition and asthma that could have caused his death.

The victim's family appealed to the US Department of Justice to consider whether federal criminal or civil rights charges could be brought against one or more of the officers in the case.

Last month the Justice Department determined that Pantaleo would not face federal charges, a decision that Garner's family slammed as an "insult."

"I thank Commissioner O'Neill for doing the right thing. You finally made the decision that should have been made 5 years ago," Garner's daughter Emerald Garner said Monday.

African-American rights leader Al Sharpton said he and the family were "relieved but not celebratory," adding that they would continue to fight for criminal charges.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, a candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination, said justice "had been done." 

But police union leader Patrick Lynch accused O'Neill of choosing "politics and his own self-interest ahead of the police officers he claims to lead."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Singer takes knee during performance of national anthem at Nets game

Singer Justine Skye dropped to a knee toward the end of her rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner prior to the Brooklyn Nets home opener against the Orlando Magic on Friday.

Some NFL players have sat or taken a knee during renditions of the song the past two seasons to protest racial inequality in the United States but NBA players have stood in accordance with league rules.

The protests have raised the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, who says the players are being disrespectful to the country and the military.

In an online post, the 22-year-old Brooklyn native said she was uneasy about singing the song to begin with and said she probably would not be asked to do so again.

"I had to take a knee for the opening game in my city and let my voice be heard," Skye wrote in an Instagram post along with a video of the performance.

"We will not be silenced," she said, adding an emoji of a clenched fist and the hashtag #blacklivesmatter.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Twitter brings back 'Black Lives Matter' emoji

Twitter is bringing back a special edition emoji in the name of the "Black Lives Matter" movement.

An emoji of three clenched fists in several shades of brown, now posted the emoji at the end of the hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter, made a debut in an account run by Twitter employees.

In memory of #AltonSterling, #PhilandoCastile and those before them, we are bringing back our custom✊🏾 emoji from #BHM. #BlackLivesMatter

— Blackbirds (@blackbirds) July 8, 2016

The account, Blackbirds, said they want to celebrate and encourage diverse perspectives.

The #BlackLivesMatter resurfaced after the shooting of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and of Philando Castile in Minnesota. Both were black men shot by the police.

"Black Lives Matter" protests that took place around the United States were mostly peaceful, but one gathering in Dallas was met with violence that killed five members of the police force.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com