Singer Halsey is sharing her experiences from the Los Angeles protests on Instagram, including a video showing police spraying tear gas at a crowd of protestors—which she was a part of.
“It’s become very clear to me that some of you need to see what I’ve seen. Please swipe through this. These pictures and videos don’t even scratch the surface. It’s easy from the comfort of your home to watch looting and rioting on television and condone the violent measures being taken by forces. But what you don’t see is innocent peaceful protestors being shot at and tear gassed and physically assaulted relentlessly,” Halsey wrote.
In a series of photos and videos, she documented what she saw and felt as part of the crowd of protesters—including images of herself providing medical aid to protestors who were presumably injured. She also shared a video that depicted police spraying tear gas at a crowd of marching protestors.
“You think it’s not happening, it’s only the ‘thugs’ and the ‘riots’, right? The police are keeping you safe right? You’re wrong. This is happening everywhere. And innocent people exercising their rights to speech and assembly are facing violence and abuse of power.”
Halsey also explained that because medical professionals are exhausted from still treating COVID-19 outbreaks, there is “little to no medical attention available. I have first hand treated men women and children who have been shot in the chest, the face, the back. Some will lose vision some have lost fingers. I have been covered in innocent blood.”
“My father is a black man. My mother is an EMT. This week I had to put those two associations together in ways that have horrified me,” Halsey added. On Twitter, she provided a list of what medical supplies were most helpful at a protest.
Halsey also used Twitter to express her outrage at President Trump’s most recent escalation of the situation.
“Trump mobilizing armed forces against our own citizens and then carefully mentioning ‘2nd amendment rights’ which he knows will encourage civilians to turn arms on one another. Lacking any integrity or empathy. This is out of control.”