Justin Bieber spoke about the recent shooting in Buffalo during a concert in the city, just hours after the tragedy. The pop star labeled racism “diabolical” while pausing his performance to discuss the incident.
“There’s so much division in this world,” Bieber told the crowd, in a video shared on his Instagram page. “So much racial injustice. And as you and I both know, racism is evil, and it is diabolical. But what you and I get to do — we get to be difference makers.”
He continued: “We get to be the people who get to continue to have the conversations with our friends and our families and our loved ones. We continue to be allies, to continue the conversation.”
Kevin Winter / Getty Images
The shooting, which is being described by police as a “racially motivated hate crime,” occurred at a Tops Friendly Markets located in a predominantly Black neighborhood. 10 people were killed and several more were injured.
Suspect Payton Gendron was taken into police custody immediately after the shooting and has since pleaded not guilty.
“This was pure evil,” said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia after the shooting. “It was straight up racially motivated hate crime from somebody outside of our community, outside of the City of Good neighbors … coming into our community and trying to inflict that evil upon us.”
In the caption of his post including his comments during the show, Bieber added: “RACISM WILL NOT PREVAIL GOD DOES. WE STAND WITH YOU BUFFALO AND STAND AGAINST THIS RACIST ACT OF TERROR.”
Check out Bieber’s comments below.
[Via]