Following in the footsteps of teammate Marcus Stroman, Pete Alonso took to his Instagram on Sunday to voice his support for those fighting against racial injustice and police brutality.
This comes after several days and nights of protests around the country in response to the murder of George Floyd, who was killed after Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin used excessive force against Floyd, choking him with a knee against his neck for approximately nine minutes.
This also follows the recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor – among many others – as a result of excessive violence.
Per Danny Abriano of SNY, in a post to his story, Alonso said “For the past couple of days, I’ve struggled to wrap my mind around what’s happening. I have a voice and I will not remain silent.”
The first baseman then went on to pledge his support for those looking to be heard, saying “My heart has been broken over the murder of George Floyd. I will never know what it feels like to be discriminated against because (of) the color of my skin. To anyone who faces this type of discrimination, I will fight for you and be an ally. I will always stand with you. There needs to be justice and change made for the better of humanity. Let words be our sword and unity be our armor.”
As protests continue on and instances of escalation and violence surround those calling for a change, Alonso finished his post with a firm message: “Take care of each other.”
