'That's not the way': Rafael Nadal hits out at violent protests
Rafael Nadal has claimed the violent riots across the US is ‘not the way’ to protest after breaking his silence on the fight against racism gripping the nation.
The 19-time Grand Slam champ showed his support for the ‘Black Out Tuesday’ movement this week alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic after the death of George Floyd on 25 May.
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The initiative has seen people from all over the world post plain black images on social media to show their support for the fight over racial equality that has exploded in the United States after the death of George Floyd.
Tennis players such as Coco Gauff and Frances Tiafoe have taken part in the ‘racquets down, hands up’ initiative to lend their support and use their social platform for good.
Now, Nadal addressed the issue in a press conference claiming he was all for the protests to put a stop to racism.
However, the Spanish champion said the ‘disasters’ witnessed on the streets during the riots are “not the way” to go about it.
“I think it’s a very long conversation and it’s a difficult situation to answer right now. We don’t have enough time to talk about this problem,” Nadal said in a Zoom call to media.
“But of course, all the people who want a peaceful world, we are against racism, we are against poverty, we are against all terrible stuff that is happening in this world.”
“When you see all these disasters on the streets, my feeling is that’s not the way to protest or to… I don’t know, I don’t like… that’s not a good example either.”
“Of course the situation is critical but I really believe strongly in people and I really believe that we will be able to fix the problems,” he added.
Floyd died on 25 May in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed his knee into the 46-year-old's neck while he was handcuffed and saying he couldn't breathe.
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged last week with third-degree murder over Floyd' death and the shocking incident has sparked a wave of protests across America and the rest of the world.
Coco Gauff calls out Federer
Federer decided to show his support for the cause by joining the "Black Out Tuesday" campaign, with the Swiss leaving a love heart emoji alongside a plain black image on his Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Gauff, the 16-year-old African-American tennis sensation from Georgia, replied to Federer's post with the ways he can actually help in the fight for equality.
Among the suggestions for the Swiss ace were links where he could sign petitions or donate money to various causes associated with the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
