Seth Rogen, more stars react to Buffalo man pushed by police: what's 'happening off camera'
The sight and the sound of a 75-year-old protester’s head hitting the pavement after being shoved by police officers in Buffalo, New York, has ignited a social-media firestorm.
Video of the incident, which happened in Niagara Square shortly after Buffalo’s 8 p.m. curfew went into effect Thursday, was posted to Twitter at 9:13 p.m. by radio station WBFO-FM. Almost immediately, there was reaction — and not just from major news organizations.
Celebrities took to Twitter to express their outrage at the incident.
Seth Rogen, who's been vocal about the Black Lives Matter movement, pointed out how much worse police brutality could be when it's not recorded.
"Again, if they’re doing this to old white men ON camera, imagine what the (expletive) is happening off camera," Rogen tweeted.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan directed his followers to a petition.
“I’m not sure why we would need to sign a petition to make this happen but it just did,” tweeted Gaffigan, who then asked people to sign a change.org petition demanding that one of the officers be fired; both have been suspended without pay, and neither has been criminally charged or officially identified.
So far, the petition has gotten more than 207,0000 signatures.
Other celebrities and people with large social-media followings like Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monáe, Ice-T, Jemele Hill and Greta Thunberg have also weighed in:
Clarkson and Ice Cube reprimanded the officers for not tending to the fallen man.
"To every single cop in this video that walked by that poor man bleeding out of his head after he was OBVIOUSLY pushed, WHY ARE YOU A COP???!!!!! To all the great cops out there, CALL THESE SORRY EXCUSE FOR HUMANS OUT!!" she wrote.
"Look at all the officers who are scared to render this citizen aid," tweeted Ice Cube. Even if the unit is on the move. It’s enough officers for a few to render aid.
Janelle Monáe called out police officers for being "performative" by kneeling with protesters while also pushing one to the ground.
It’s performative https://t.co/T2GtJHKIZz
— Janelle Monáe, Cindi Mayweather (@JanelleMonae) June 5, 2020
To every single cop in this video that walked by that poor man bleeding out of his head after he was OBVIOUSLY pushed, WHY ARE YOU A COP???!!!!! To all the great cops out there, CALL THESE SORRY EXCUSE FOR HUMANS OUT!! https://t.co/xT31LwaVZr
— Kelly Clarkson (@kellyclarkson) June 5, 2020
THIS IS WHAT HE THINKS LAW & ORDER LOOKS LIKE..... https://t.co/lRKt0FrFSS
— LLCOOLJ (@llcoolj) June 5, 2020
Just watch.. No comment needed.. he’s bleeding.. smh https://t.co/YTlgINv0AT
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) June 5, 2020
Take your helmet off and help the MAN !!!! pic.twitter.com/oZL0QBSvrZ
— MC HAMMER (@MCHammer) June 5, 2020
Still waiting for the EU and individual democratic nations to officially condemn the police brutality and attacks on the free press escalating the USA.
For how long are we going to stand by, watch and say nothing? https://t.co/OtJosMbTaZ— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) June 5, 2020
A few bad apples, right? https://t.co/bQeYTk74gs
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 5, 2020
This poor old man!!!! Shoved unnecessarily by Buffalo, New York, police officers on Thursday! For no good reason! He hits his head and starts bleeding! And these monsters keep on walking after seeing how hurt he is!!!! FIRE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Dh6HYS0K4M
— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) June 5, 2020
The Buffalo cop who violently shoved this elderly man, left him on the sidewalk bleeding from his ear: Aaron Torgalski. The Buffalo PD report says the victim "tripped." Internal Affairs at BPD: 716-851-4557. Twitter, do your thing. @NYGovCuomo did u see?pic.twitter.com/HxkslSpNjn
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) June 5, 2020
If this elderly man dies, the Buffalo police officers who shoved him to the ground for no reason should face homicide charges.
https://t.co/KikDBntUYk— Brent Staples (@BrentNYT) June 5, 2020
That video. It's of a peaceful situation where an elderly man is shoved to the ground by a group of Buffalo police where he cracks his head and begins to bleed out with no one rushing to his aid. I won't retweet it because that sentence alone should make you beyond angry.
— Eugene Lee Yang (@EugeneLeeYang) June 5, 2020
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Seth Rogen, more react to Buffalo police pushing 75-year-old man