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John-Boyega-London-BLM-Protest-1217458461.jpg

John Boyega Knows He's Risking His Career By Joining Black Lives Matter Protest In London, But 'F*ck That'

By Kristy Puchko | Politics | June 3, 2020 |

By Kristy Puchko | Politics | June 3, 2020 |


John-Boyega-London-BLM-Protest-1217458461.jpg

John Boyega is well aware that Star Wars fans want him to smile and be funny like his character, Finn. He knows some are disturbed when he follows in this Resistance hero’s footsteps by speaking out and fighting back against a fascist system that abuses the marginalized. Last week, Boyega faced bizarre blowback for tweeting, “I really f*cking hate racists.” This week, he’s joined the Black Lives Matter protest in London, where he delivered an impassioned speech that included the acknowledgment, “I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f*ck that.”

With a megaphone in his hand and voice streaked with pain, Boyega spoke to his fellow protesters. Snippets of his speech were captured on video and shared on Twitter.

In the above video, Boyega says:

“I need you to understand how painful this sh*t is. I need you to understand how painful it is to be reminded every day that your race means nothing. And that isn’t the case anymore, that was never the case anymore. We are going to try today. We are a physical representation of our support for George Floyd. We are a physical representation of our support for Sandra Bland. We are a physical representation of our support for Trayvon Martin. We are a physical representation of our support for Stephen Lawrence for Mark Duggan.

It is very, very important that we keep control in this moment and we make this as peaceful as possible. We make this as peaceful and as organized as possible. Because you know what guys? They want us to mess up. They want us to be disorganized. Well, not today. Not today! Not today.

This message is specifically for Black men: Black men, we need to take care of our Black women. We need to take care of them. They are ours. They are our hearts. They are our future. We cannot demonize our own. We are the pillars of the family. Imagine this: A nation that is set up with individual families that are thriving. That are healthy. That communicate. That raise their children in love, have a better rate at becoming better human beings. That’s what we need to create. Black men, it starts with you…We have to be better. Do you understand? I’m speaking to you from my heart. Look, I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f*ck that.”

“Black lives have always mattered. We have always been important. We have always meant something. We have always succeeded regardless. And now is the time. We ain’t waiting. I ain’t waiting.”

Indiewire reports, Boyega also said, “Today is about innocent people who were halfway through their process. We don’t know what George Floyd could have achieved, we don’t know what Sandra Bland could have achieved, but today we’re going to make sure that won’t be an alien thought to our young ones.”

Here are more images, videos, and reactions from Boyega’s Black Lives Matter march.

This is no time to mince words: John Boyega is a hero. He is at the Hyde Park march using his famous face to draw attention to the cause of Black Lives Matter. He is using his platform to dismantle white supremacy. And he’s doing all of this in full awareness that it could cost him his career, his safety, and his life.



Header Image Source: Getty