Multiple celebrities pledged to donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund in order to pay bail for individuals arrested as multiple United States cities including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Nashville, Atlanta, New York City, Los Angeles, and others are experiencing riots and burning.
The Minnesota Freedom Fund advocates for ending the cash bail system, but also pays bail for individuals who they claim cannot afford it.
In their about section they explain, “We stand against cash bail as unjust and identify wealth-based discrimination as a vehicle for the criminal justice system to target populations for structural violence. People of color and immigrants face higher rates of arrest, harsher sentencing, and disparities in the setting of bail compared to white citizens.”
As for why they pay for bail, while opposing the system they detail, “We pay bail as a way to reduce harm to individuals in the immediate term. But we never lose sight of our mission to abolish cash bail and have the burden of proof for pretrial risk fall on prosecutors, not the accused.”
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Amidst the riots and looting, the Minnesota Freedom Fund has called on the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz to defund the police.
We’re gonna need you @GovTimWalz to do better then vauge promises of change. Defund the Police. End Money Bail. Rebuild our small BIPOC owned businesses. https://t.co/HZkIgX2q3s
— Minnesota Freedom Fund (@MNFreedomFund) May 30, 2020
Trolls World Tour actor Justin Timberlake, who voiced Branch in the animated film, took to Twitter to write, “Please join me in supporting the Minneapolis protestors by donating to the Minnesota Freedom Fund.”
He added, “The freedom fund is combatting the harms of incarceration by paying bail for low income individuals who cannot otherwise afford.”
Please join me in supporting the Minneapolis protestors by donating to the @mnfreedomfund. The freedom fund is combatting the harms of incarceration by paying bail for low income individuals who cannot otherwise afford: https://t.co/tFr8Jh7TUX
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) May 30, 2020
Timberlake would not be alone. Society Reviews reports Seth Rogen, Steve Carrell, Don Cheadle, Olivia Wilde, Patton Oswalt, Nick Kroll, and Janelle Monáe have also supported the Minnesota Freedom Fund.
Rogen indicated he matched a $50 donation to the Minnesota Freedom Fund and added, “and then much more.”
Matched. https://t.co/qhwGUtrywc
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) May 28, 2020
(And then much more)
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) May 30, 2020
Steve Carell, who stars in Netflix’s Space Force, would also indicate he matched the $50 donation.
Matched https://t.co/bmeP30vGX4
— Steve Carell (@SteveCarell) May 28, 2020
Olivia Wilde, who starred in TRON Legacy as Quorra has retweeted a number of the Minnesota Freedom Fund’s tweets as well as the National Bail Fund Network.
Important info on bail funds. #FreeThemAll https://t.co/QLMKxG0e4H
— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) May 31, 2020
She also announced that she matched the $50 donation.
Matched. https://t.co/XtklbrHYRn
— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) May 28, 2020
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actor Patton Oswalt also detailed that he matched the $50 donation.
Matched. https://t.co/QmxJAzR0RH pic.twitter.com/SazLHhjtYx
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) May 28, 2020
Nick Kroll also indicated he matched the $50 donation.
Matched. https://t.co/UsT7FOt04l
— nick kroll (@nickkroll) May 28, 2020
Homecoming and Lady and the Tramp actress Janelle Monáe declared that she was “getting heroes out of jail in Lousiville.” She then asked her followers to join her as well.
I’m getting heroes out of jail in Louisville . Join me if you can (especially those who seek to be allies). Let’s donate . https://t.co/Xbsfw3mutm
— Janelle Monáe, Cindi Mayweather (@JanelleMonae) May 29, 2020
She also matched a $1000 donation to the Minnesota Freedom Fund from rapper Noname.
Just matched you . 🤜🏾🤛🏾 https://t.co/lp0ZtdRvTX
— Janelle Monáe, Cindi Mayweather (@JanelleMonae) May 28, 2020
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Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation actress Chrissy Teigen announced she was donating $100,000 “to the bail outs of protestors across the country.”
In celebration of whatever the fuck maga night is, I am committed to donating $100,000 to the bail outs of protestors across the country.
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 30, 2020
Fifteen minutes later she indicated she was going to donate $200,000.
Ooo they might need more money then. Make it $200,000 https://t.co/axuJnazJkU
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 30, 2020
All of these donations from celebrities come amid rioting and looting across a number of cities in the United States.
Fox News reports riots and looting left at least three dead.
Reporter Brandon Farley shared a video of a man being viciously attacked in Portland.
Portland #BlackLivesMatter protest erupts into violence.
Man gets ganged up on and brutally assaulted after attempting to flee;
Tooth knocked out; left lifeless in the street.
BLM: “Black Lives Matter, you F*ggot”
May 30th, 2020#Oregon #PDX911 #AntifaTerrorists #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/RYfT7wCZpJ
— Brandon Farley (@FarleyMedia) May 31, 2020
Elijah Schaffer shared a video of a man he claims is attempting to defend his business with a sword. Schaffer reports the man “nearly lost his life.”
Another angle of the sword guy
This video apparently agrees with my perspective the man was attempting to protect his store
Got foolish
Rushed rioters
Nearly lost his life
Has nothing to do with black vs white
Shop owner vs rioters is all
— ELIJAH (@ElijahSchaffer) May 31, 2020
Breaking911 showed the courthouse in Nashville burning and graffitied.
THE COURTHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE IS ON FIRE; PROTESTERS CLASHING WITH COPS
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 31, 2020
Cicada News shared a video of looting occuring in the Soho district of New York City.
WATCH: Major looting occuring in the SoHo district of New York City. #GeorgeFloydProtests pic.twitter.com/nlS7EmRLh8
— Cicada News (@cicada_news) May 31, 2020
Breaking 911 also shows rioters dragging a police officer through the streets.
CHAOS: Police officers dragged through the street in Chicago
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 30, 2020