Joining the fight. Ben Affleck and his girlfriend, Ana de Armas, protested the demolition of a historic black church while advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The couple attended the rally on Tuesday, June 2, in Venice, California, where protestors advocated to save the First Baptist Church of Venice. Affleck, 47, held up one sign which read, “Save First Baptist Church of Venice,” and another sign with the words “Black Lives Matter” emblazoned across it.
“Ben wants to continue to be a model for his children. They talk about these important issues,” a source tells Us Weekly. The Way Back actor shares daughters Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and son Samuel, 8, with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner.
Save Venice, an action collective for the city, noted Affleck and the Knives Out star’s attendance via Twitter on Tuesday.
“March for #GeorgeFloyd in #Venice today. Blessed to have @BenAffleck express awareness and concern for the local Historic Black Community in #VeniceBeach that has been long ignored and obstructed by local politicians, LAPD, and commerce bullies. #SaveVenice #DefendOakwood,” the organization wrote.
The protest was one of many that have taken place in cities across the U.S. denouncing police brutality and racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s death on May 25. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed a knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in an encounter that was filmed and went viral. According to an independent autopsy released on Monday, June 1, Floyd’s cause of death was “asphyxiation from sustained pressure.” He was 46 years old.
Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on Friday, May 29, but the other three officers involved have not been charged.
The Gone Girl star and de Armas, 32, are just a couple of the famous faces that have shown their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Stars such as Ariana Grande, Cole Sprouse, Halsey and Nick Cannon have also taken to the streets in protest. Sprouse, 27, was arrested on Sunday, May 31, while protesting in Santa Monica, California. One day later, the Riverdale star detailed his encounter with police via Instagram and praised the Black Lives Matter movement.
“A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica,” he wrote. “So before the voracious horde of media sensationalism decides to somehow turn it about me, there’s a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter. Peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest.”
