Cole Sprouse talks about his arrest
Riverdale's Cole Sprouse has revealed he was arrested during a Black Lives Matter protest on Sunday.
The actor shared a lengthy statement about the incident on Instagram.
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The 27-year-old wrote, 'A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica.'
He rushed to announce the news himself in a bid to stop the media from, 'somehow [turning] it about [him].'
Cole wrote, 'there’s a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter.'
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He continued, 'Peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest.'
'the media is by nature only going to show the most sensational, which only proves a long standing racist agenda.'
'I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica.'
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The arrest
The Jughead Jones actor said they were told by police that they would be arrested if they didn't leave the area.
However, Cole claimed when they did try to leave, '[they] found another line of police officers blocking [their] route.'
He explained, 'they started zip tying us.'
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The actor got very honest, admitting the consequences of his detainment, 'are nothing in comparison to others within the movement.'
He said this has everything to do with the fact that he is a, 'straight white man, and a public figure.'
Cole insisted, 'This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me, and I hope the media doesn’t make it such.'
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'...What it means to stand as an ally'
Cole added that this is, '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,' the former Disney star wrote.
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'I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps.'
'I’ll speak no more on the subject, as 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.'
Cole wrapped up, 'I will be, again, posting the link in my story to a comprehensive document for donations and support.'
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is threatening to deploy the army to stop anti-racism protests across America.
Read more here.
