*Actress Rashida Jones woke up Sunday to find herself being dragged after she tweeted a #FreeDeray message of support to arrested Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson.
Mckesson, one of the primary faces of the #BLM movement, was arrested during a Saturday night protest in Baton Rouge, where the death of Alton Sterling has inflamed tensions. Mckesson had used Periscope to document the event. He was later charged with “simple obstruction of a highway of commerce,” according to documents posted online.
READ RELATED STORY: Celebs React to the Police Killing of Alton Sterling: ‘This is an Epidemic’
According to ABC News, he was filming live the moments leading up to his arrest.
“The police in Baton Rouge have been truly awful tonight,” Mckesson said on the video, while walking along Airline Highway. “They have provoked people, they chase people just for kicks. The police have been violent tonight. The protesters have not.”
Soon after, as the video below depicts, someone shouts, “This is the police, you’re under arrest! Don’t fight me! Don’t fight me!”
Mckesson responds: “I’m under arrest, y’all!” The camera is then knocked to the ground.
Meanwhile, the hashtag #FreeDeray quickly trended on Twitter, with the photo of Mckesson being arrested becoming instantly meme-ready:
At least one of your tweets today should include #FreeDeRay https://t.co/7R3YPQjQQX
— JohnGotty (@JohnGotty) July 10, 2016
That’s when Jones decided to chime in with support for McKesson:
@iamrashidajones Deport him to Africa and send all the BLM savages with him. He cannot assimilate into American culture.
— Dean Dekay91 (@KasraDean) July 10, 2016
According to TheWrap, Jones’ message was retweeted more than 15,000 times. On the other hand, it also got a reaction from the pro-gun advocates who had a problem with Quincy Jones’ daughter’s mention of the Second Amendment. Others bashed #BLM and indulged in race-baiting.
@iamrashidajones I wish ppl wld use better judgment when invoking their #1A rights, by not standing in the road & disobeying lawful orders.
— Kevin Thiele (@KevinBThiele) July 10, 2016
@iamrashidajones Deport him to Africa and send all the BLM savages with him. He cannot assimilate into American culture.
— Dean Dekay91 (@KasraDean) July 10, 2016
@iamrashidajones The First Amendment doesn’t cover violence and illegality any more than the 2nd cover tanks and missiles.
— Davis (@DavisFox118) July 10, 2016
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