John Boyega’s Emotional Speech at Black Lives Matter Protest

John Boyega offered a rousing, rallying call to protesters gathered in London on Wednesday. Speaking into a megaphone, the British-Nigerian actor, known for his portrayal of Finn in the Star Wars franchise, demanded justice before emotionally honoring George Floyd and other victims of police brutality.

“Black lives have always mattered. We have always been important. We have always meant something. We have always succeeded regardless,” he told the thousands gathered at Hyde Park. “And now is the time. I ain’t waiting.” He then addressed those opposing the protest: “I need you guys to understand. I need you to understand how painful this sh*t is. I need you to understand how painful it is to be reminded every day that your race means nothing.” At this point, John was crying as a fellow protester placed a comforting hand on his back.

In another moment, John added: “We’re going to try today. We are a physical representation of our support for George Floyd. We are a physical representation on our support for Sandra Bland. We are a physical representation on our support for Trayvon Martin. We are a physical representation of our support for Stephen Lawrence. For Mark Duggan.”