Top Boy actor Ashley Walters broke down on Sunday evening as he recalled being stabbed by racist thugs while furiously addressing claims that he has not been vocal enough following the brutal death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Racial tensions and rioting have escalated across the United States since footage emerged of a handcuffed Floyd choking to death while being restrained by white police officer Derek Chavin, who was filmed pinning the 46-year old to the ground by pressing a knee into the back of his neck.
Walters, best known for his starring role in crime drama Top Boy, has since lashed out at activists for claiming he has not used his platform as a successful black actor to condemn Floyd’s death on May 25th.
Speaking out: Top Boy actor Ashley Walters broke down as he recalled being stabbed by racist thugs while addressing claims that he has not been vocal enough following the death of George Floyd
Taking to Instagram, the actor, 37, told followers: ‘I’ve spent the evening in my feelings and my thoughts, about this George Floyd situation, and not necessarily about what happened to him.
‘That’s devastating, and it’s terrible, and there’s no words to explain or describe how that s**t makes us feel; black people around the word, oppressed people around the world, how that makes us feel.
‘This s**t has been going on in America for a while, it’s been going on here for a while, and I’m sure other places in the world. It just hasn’t been addressed and not a lot of people are doing anything about it.’
Becoming increasingly emotional, Walters insisted he had encountered racism both personally and professionally, including a near fatal stabbing when he was a teenage boy.
Emotional: Walters lashed out at activists for claiming he has not used his platform as a successful black actor to condemn Floyd’s death on May 25th
Moving: Comforted by wife Danielle, Walters insisted he had encountered racism both personally and professionally, including a near fatal stabbing when he was a teenage boy
Unhappy: The actor addressed those who have attacked high-profile stars for staying silent with hashtags such as ‘silence is betrayal’
Addressing the faction of protesters who have attacked high-profile stars for staying silent with hashtags such as ‘silence is betrayal,’ he added: ‘My point of coming on here today is that no one can tell me I am complicit because I haven’t posted anything about the scenario for several reasons, but the main one is I have been fighting this f**king thing all my career.
‘I’ve seen black people and big corporations posting stuff about your silence is a betrayal. Don’t ever tell me my silence is a f**king betrayal, where I’ve been left for dead on the street by white men. Stabbed and left for dead, and these people have never been brought to justice.
‘I’ve f**king worked hard, put my life on the line for all these f**king men, out here while this s**t has been going on, and I ain’t said nothing. I’m talking now because I’ve had enough of this s**t. People are being killed out there and treated like s**t, and all people can complain about is who’s posting or who’s f**king not.’
Anger: ‘Don’t ever tell me my silence is a f**king betrayal, where I’ve been left for dead on the street by white men. Stabbed and left for dead, and these people have never been brought to justice,’ he revealed
As wife Danielle moved in to comfort her husband, he said: ‘You don’t know what I’ve been through for this thing. Half of you wouldn’t be working now if I hadn’t been out here doing my thing for the last however many years, being bullied and held back by white people in this game.
‘Don’t ever question my loyalty for this this thing. These people are cold blooded killers and no one ain’t doing s**t, but I’ve been going through this for years, f**king years.
‘Look at the scar on my neck where they left me for dead. I was 15-years old, like a little piece of s**t, and no one went to jail for that, and I’ve deal with that forever.
Horrifying: Racial tensions and rioting have escalated across the United States since footage emerged of a handcuffed Floyd choking to death while being restrained by white police officer Derek Chavin
In this together: Protests have been held all over the United States following the death of Floyd
‘So the moral of my story is don’t ever tell me that because I don’t post I don’t have passion of feeling for anything, You people are really slow and stupid to be turning on each other at a time like this.’
Protests began after the death of George Floyd, a black man who lost his life after a white police officer who is now charged with murder, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.
As racial tensions grip the nation, officers have since been criticised for their use of force in controlling the enormous crows that have gathered to protest in key cities all over the country.
Further protest marches have since been held across the United Kingdom, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
Controversy: As racial tensions grip the nation, officers have since been criticised for their use of force in controlling the enormous crows that have gathered to protest all over the country