Cole Sprouse Was Arrested While Protesting Police Brutality in L.A.

From Harper's BAZAAR

• Riverdale's Cole Sprouse was arrested with other peaceful protesters standing up against police brutality and racism in Santa Monica on Sunday.

• The actor shared his experience on Instagram, recalling being detained and zip-tied by police.

• He emphasized, however, that he is not the focus of the movement and doesn't want to take away from the efforts of its actual organizers and participants.

Cole Sprouse was among the protesters who were arrested in Santa Monica, California, on Sunday while taking a stand against racism and police brutality in the wake of the death of George Floyd and countless others.

In an Instagram post yesterday, the Riverdale star said he was zip-tied by police and detained while standing in solidarity. However, he wants to get the message across: This isn't about him.

"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," he wrote. "Peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest."

He continued, "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."

Sprouse later acknowledged his privilege in the situation. "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."

The actor concluded his message with a note saying he won't speak further on the subject because he's "not well versed enough to do so" and further underscored that he's not the focus of the movement and doesn't want to "[draw] attention away from the leaders of the #BLM movement."

The actor also shared a link to Resources for Accountability and Action for Black Lives in his Instagram Story, which details ways people can demand justice for Black citizens killed through police brutality and racist acts of violence—including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery—organizations to donate to, and more educational material.

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