(Photo: Instagram)

Actor arrested for protesting police brutality

The actor that is known for his bad-boy role as Jughead Jones on “Riverdale,” Cole Sprouse was arrested on Sunday while protesting on Broadway in downtown Santa Monica, California. Sprouse participated in a protest against police brutality and discrimination in regard to the recent wrongful death of George Floyd.

About a mile away from downtown Santa Monica a group of people gathered earlier that day to hold a moment of silence to honor the lives lost due to police brutality. Sprouse participated in the other protest event later with the crowd chanting the last words of George Floyd, “I can’t breathe.”

As the peaceful protest started to disperse another group started vandalizing and looting local businesses. The Gap store and Sake House restaurant were both victims of arson with fire damage.

The police on the scene stated that they didn’t have enough resources or capacity to stop protestors from looting and rioting with the only option to contain the perimeter. As the day progressed the officers started to cut off intersections and began to close in, encouraging crowds to disperse.

Sprouse was resilient, refusing to leave while complying with police that was forcing protestors east. Eventually, the police started detaining protestors including Sprouse who was put in zip-tie handcuffs.

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A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica. So before the voracious horde of media sensationalism decides to somehow turn it about me, there’s a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter. 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. We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested. When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us. It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement. This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me, and I hope the media doesn’t make it such. This is, and will be, 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. 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. I will be, again, posting the link in my story to a comprehensive document for donations and support.

A post shared by Cole Sprouse (@colesprouse) on Jun 1, 2020 at 1:14pm PDT

Sprouse shared his experience on Instagram on Monday afternoon saying that the police warned protestors with arrest if they refused to disperse. Sprouse further explained when protestors attempted to leave, there was another line of police blocking the route he was taking then the police started putting people in handcuffs.

Some are taking advantage of this situation to riot and vandalize, taking media attention away from the important issue behind these protests. Sprouse said, “It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement. This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me.”

David Brown was arrest with Sprouse saying they were in a holding cell for 90 minutes, charged with misdemeanor violating curfew and released. Brown further explains that police told the group of protestors that they could leave through one path and were not allowed to leave when they attempted to disperse.