Civil rights activist, DeRay McKesson, is good for now after the case against his largest organization, Black Lives Matter, has been dropped.
Back in July 2016, DeRay led a demonstration in Baton Rouge after the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling by a white police officer. The officer, who remains anonymous, sued DeRay after he got injured by a thrown rock, claiming DeRay cited violence at the protest.
A federal judge has ruled that Black Lives Matter is a social entity and cannot be sued. “Although many entities have utilized the phrase ‘black lives matter’ in their titles or business designations, Black Lives Matter itself is not an entity of any sort,” Brian Jackson, a US District judge wrote in a 24-page letter, via The Guardian.
“It’s clear that I did nothing wrong that day and that the police were the only violent people in the streets,” DeRay, said after learning of the ruling. “The movement began as a call to end violence and that call remains the same today.”
DeRay was one of almost 200 protesters arrested on the day of the protest as they were held for obstructing a highway. The judge who saw the charges declined to prosecute nearly 100 of those.
A recent celebrity to share his stance on Black Lives Matter, is Canadian-born Justin Bieber. The "Sorry singer took to his Instagram to share his support.
"I am a white Canadian and I will never know what it feels like to be an African American," he wrote last Friday. "[W]hat I do know is I am willing to stand up and use my voice to shine light on racism, because it's a real thing and it's more prevalent now than I have ever seen in my lifetime.. we are all Gods children and we are ALL EQUAL."
