Marcus Smart made his voice heard Sunday in Boston, joining a peaceful protest through the city's streets following George Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis police officer last Monday.
The #Celtics @smart_MS3 on why he's participating in the tonight's peaceful protest here in Boston. pic.twitter.com/KCiKufqonG
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) May 31, 2020
But Smart wasn't alone among his Celtics teammates, as Enes Kanter and Vincent Poirier also participated in Sunday's protest.
Wearing his No. 11 Celtics jersey, Kanter made a brief speech to a crowd of protesters to thank them for their support and call for further change.
BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) May 31, 2020
pic.twitter.com/tl8w24kuCt
"First of all, I want to thank you all for what you're doing," Kanter said in the video, via WCVB-TV Boston. "I really, really appreciate it. The second thing I want to say, man; we need change and change cannot wait, you know?
"I get emotional, but we are on the right side of history, man. You know what? Black lives matter, right? Let's go."
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Kanter also participated in a chant of "I Can't Breathe," words Floyd spoke Monday as a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck, ultimately killing him.
.@EnesKanter of the @celtics out here in Boston supporting the cause. pic.twitter.com/2ra9xnRdtk
— Kevin Raposo (@Kevin_Raposo) May 31, 2020
Kanter has a history of speaking out against injustices; the Turkish national has been highly critical of Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and had his passport revoked by the country in 2017.
Poirier, a native of France, also posted a pair of videos that appeared to show him walking with protesters.
I just see unity ✊🏿✊🏽✊🏻 pic.twitter.com/9cHFdat2qB
— Vincent Poirier (@viinze_17P) June 1, 2020
— Vincent Poirier (@viinze_17P) June 1, 2020
The Celtics' organization appeared to support Smart, Kanter, Poirier and Jaylen Brown -- who drove to Atlanta on Saturday to participate in a protest in his home state -- via a statement Sunday night emphasizing the need to "lead through our actions."
A statement from the Boston Celtics pic.twitter.com/zmhRGwHfeV
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 1, 2020
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