ANTHONY JOSHUA shrugged off a knee injury to attend the Black Lives Matter demonstration in Watford on Saturday.
The world heavyweight champion spoke at length about the need to defeat the “virus” of racism.
Anthony Joshua took to the streets in Watford to speak at a Black Lives Matter demonstrationCredit: Reuters
Anthony Joshua’s speech in full
“We can no longer from today onward be proud, we can no longer remain silent on the senseless unlawful killing, sly racism of another human being based only on what? Their skin colour.
“We need to speak out in peaceful demonstrations just like today. So well done Watford, inject the vaccine.
“We must not use the demonstration for selfish motives and turn it into rioting and looting. We need to be united in non-violent demonstrations.
“Show them where it hurts, abstain from spending your money in their shops and economies, and invest in black-owned businesses.
“And that’s for all communities if you want to uplift yourselves, invest in your own businesses.
“We have to engage with the youth – I completely agree with that – and put an end to black youth gang culture.
“I’m gunna be real with you about gang culture. I’m down to riot 100 per cent but what you have to realise – it’s done. It is done, trust me.
Joshua poses with demonstrators in HertfordshireCredit: Reuters
“Unless you wanna be sitting in jail, spending years upon years of your only life that you have thinking about ‘yeah, they can lock the locks but they can’t stop the clocks’. That’s all done because there’s too much cameras, too much intelligence.
“All the OGs that I know are telling me ‘bro it’s finished, it’s finished’. Gang life is finished and that’s what we’re saying.
“I know that I’m not promoting no gangster business. I’m a legit, straight forward hustler – that’s just in my DNA and in my blood.
“But I know I’ve taken my street knowledge and put it into the corporate world and I’ve gained a lot of respect in that sense. So anyway, gang culture is done.
“So, where was I. We have to engage with the youth and put an end to black youth gang culture. This postcode war – how many houses do we own on that postcode that we’re fighting for?
“Let’s inject the vaccine. Every life matters – 100 per cent I agree with that. But that does include black lives and that’s why we’re here today.
“George Floyd – we’re all aware of his name – was the catalyst in a list that is already way, way, way too long.“Killing a person outright is unforgivable, but stripping them of their human rights, oppressing them, mocking them, insulting them, placing glass ceilings above them because of what – their skin colour – is just a slower way of killing them and taking the life out of their soul.
“We must unite as the human race and that’s what we’re doing here today.
“So once again, thank you very much.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
