London, June 3 (IANS) Major League Soccer (MLS) footballer Nedum Onuoha has said he does not feel “100% safe” in the USA and has distrust towards police.
Onuoha plays for Utah-based Real Salt Lake in MLS after spending six years at QPR and has previously turned out for Manchester City.
“I am always very wary of how I behave and how it could be viewed by people who have power,” Onuoha, 33, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“For me personally, overall I don’t like to say it but I have a fear and distrust towards police.”
George Floyd’s death has caused a nationwide protest in the US. Floyd, aged 46, died last week shortly after Derek Chauvin, a police officer, held him down with a knee on his neck though he repeatedly pleaded, “I can’t breathe,” and “please, I can’t breathe”.
Sports superstars have shown support to the protests on social media with a ‘blackout’ — uploading a black image alongside a message of support.
The entire Liverpool squad took a knee at the centre circle at Anfield, in a picture shared by ‘The Reds’ on their Twitter handle.
Footballers around the world are taking a stand and voicing their anger following the death of Floyd. The movement has picked up pace with the coming together of such high-profile individuals.
“People have been trying to make noise. I have been trying to say things but it gets pushed away for too long. Enough is enough; what gives me strength is that it’s not just black people who are protesting now,” Onuoha said.
“The change will come but within that, there are so many nuanced things within the protest — for example, a lot of black people are scared to do what some of the white people are doing to the police.
“It’s crazy to see but it is very necessary. I am not going to say to them that they shouldn’t do anything because they haven’t been heard for this long so let them be heard now.”
–IANS
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