Lewis Hamilton could face action over his decision to wear an anti-racism T-shirt on the Tuscan Grand Prix podium, following his victory at the weekend.
The Mercedes Formula 1 driver donned a black T-shirt with white lettering which said “arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor”, with her face on the back, with “Say her name” underneath.
It’s in reference to the killing of 26-year-old American Taylor, an emergency medical technician, who was shot eight times when police entered her apartment in Louisville in March this year.
It’s believed the police had entered the wrong property on a drug search warrant.
The FIA has confirmed they are looking at Hamilton’s decision to wear the T-shirt, with a spokesperson saying the matter it is “under active consideration”.
It’s believed the FIA may be looking at whether the decision was a political act, though it’s not known whether this infringes upon the regulations.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton said he wanted to bring attention to the story.
“I’ve been wanting to bring awareness to the fact there are people being killed on the street.
“And someone was killed in her own house and they were in the wrong house and those guys are still walking free.”
The Briton has been a vocal campaigner against police violence in the US, with Formula 1 working with the six-time World Champion to broadcast his message, which includes an optional pre-race kneel with all 20 drivers wearing ‘End Racism’ T-shirts.
Mercedes F1’s official Twitter account has been responding to comments criticising Hamilton, with a common theme saying “keep politics out of F1”. Mercedes’ response was: “We’re not bringing politics into F1; these are human rights issues that we’re trying to highlight and raise awareness of.”
I am a big Lewis fan and have been from before he joined F1. While I agree entirely with the campaign for racial equality and more responsible police action everywhere, I was shocked to see the ‘T’ shirt being worn on the podium. I fully endorse Lewis using his fame and his recognition to promote whatever cause he decides to support but there is a time and a place for everything and the podium of a F1 Grand Prix is not the time or the place. It was an inappropriate gesture.
A few words for Belarus or Alexei Navalny on the next podium in Sochi. Thank you.
Be cautious with the champagne though! 😉
“And someone was killed in her own house…”
George Floyd held a gun to a pregnant (black) woman’s belly in her own house, to force her to tell him, and the gang with him, where her money and valuables were. Hamilton thinks we should kneel to him, a career criminal, yet he wants cops who made a genuine and innocent mistake during the carrying out of their legal duty to be arrested. During the post-Floyd riots, a Black Lives Matter rioter shot dead retired (black) cop David Dorn, who was trying to defend a local store from a mob of looters. No t-shirt for David Dorn, but you can be sure that when the case comes to court the Black Lives Matter mob will be there alleging racial discrimination against the murderer by the authorities. When cops tried to restrain Jacob Blake during a fracas at the home of his ex-girlfriend, from which he was banned due to previous violence, he was so out of control that even a taser didn’t stop him, so when he tried to get a knife from his vehicle they shot him. Cue more riots. I don’t know why the intricacies of law enforcement in the USA should have become such a big issue over here, but since it is there needs to be some reality introduced to the reporting. American police kill far fewer blacks than they do whites, in total and by percentage of arrests. Black people make up about thirteen per cent of the American population but commit over forty per cent of the murders, mainly of other black people, ruining the quality of life in areas which are mostly populated by the law-abiding majority of black people. It’s strange which black lives matter to Black Lives Matter and its supporters, and which really don’t.