Emotional Ellen DeGeneres urges followers to 'send a whole bunch of love' to protesters in support video
Ellen DeGeneres has spoken out about the protests that have been raging across the country over the Memorial Day death of George Floyd and asked that people "send a whole bunch of love out there."
The 62-year-old talk show host, known for famously signing off her 'Ellen DeGeneres Show' with the phrase "be kind to one another," was the latest celebrity to express her thoughts over the civil unrest that has gripped the nation.
Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American truck driver, had died in police custody after four Minneapolis police officers confronted him over a counterfeit bill on May 25. In a video that has now been viewed hundreds of millions of times, officer Derek Chauvin could be seen kneeling on Floyd's neck as he begged and pleaded because he could not breathe.
His death sparked protests and rioting across the country, as well as several other countries, and has led to what many are describing as the largest civil rights movement in humanity's history.
DeGeneres said she had not addressed the situation because she did not know what to say but that it was time she lent her voice to those protesting police brutality, racial inequality, and systemic oppression against colored people in the country.
"I have been posting my thoughts and my stance on this, but I haven't spoken directly because I don't know what to say," she said in an Instagram video that has been liked over one million times. "I am so sad and I am so angry and I know I'm not going to say the right thing, I know that there's going to be a lot of people who are going to be in disagreement with what I say. But I have a platform and I have a voice and I have always stood for equality."
Watch the video here.
"I have always wanted to be the voice for people who felt like they didn't have a voice because I know what that feels like," she continued, before adding that people would "have to understand" the situation so they can "heal" it.
The 62-year-old said she was "so sorry" that it had come to this and that the oppression has "gone on way, way, way, way too long."
"People have gotten away with murder, and that's what's happening," she shared. "So we've got to see fairness and we've got to see justice for all because right now this is not a fair world. Not at all."
DeGeneres acknowledged that the country still has a "long way to go to even get close to being fair" and that those speaking out against the protesters and did not understand the situation had never felt unheard or unequal.
"If you've ever felt that, magnify it, and see what's happening," she stressed. "Let's send a whole bunch of love out there and try to find some peace and some communication in this."
Protests against Floyd's death have continued into their second week in several cities, with President Donald Trump ordering in the National Guard to control crowds and bring "law and order."
All four police officers involved in the Memorial Day incident have been fired, as well as arrested and charged for their roles in the 46-year-old's death. They are currently behind bars awaiting trial.
