Beyoncé has responded to the shootings of two black men by US police in a powerful open letter, posted to her website, in which she states that 'the war on people of colour and all minorities needs to be over.'
Alton Sterling was shot by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Tuesday, while Philando Castile was shot in St Paul, Minnesota on Wednesday.
A minute's silence was held at Beyoncé's concert at Hampden Park in Glasgow to pay tribute to Sterling and Castile, whose names appeared on giant screens during the show.
The singer's most recent album Lemonade is widely regarded as her most political work to date: released just before her Super Bowl performance in February, scenes from her Formation video include a young child dancing in front of riot police, and a wall spray-painted with the words 'Stop Shooting Us.'
In a post on her Instagram account, Beyoncé called upon her fans to 'channel [their] anger and frustration into action.'
Her statement reads in full:
'We are sick and tired of the killings of young men and women in our communities.
It is up to us to take a stand and demand that they “Stop killing us”.
We don't need sympathy.
We need everyone to respect our lives.
We're going to stand up as a community and fight against anyone who believes that murder or any violent action by those who are sworn to protect us should consistently go unpunished.
These robberies of lives make us feel helpless and hopeless, but we have to believe that we are fighting for the rights of the next generation, for the next young men and women who believe in good.
This is a human fight. No matter your race, gender, or sexual orientation. This is a fight for anyone who feels marginalised, who is struggling for freedom and human rights.
This is not a plea to all police officers but toward any being who fails to value life. The war on people of colour and all minorities needs to be over.
Fear is not an excuse. Hate will not win.
We all have the power to channel our anger and frustration into action. We must use our voices to contact the politicians and legislators in our districts and demand social and judicial changes.
While we pray for the families of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, we will also pray for an end to this plague of injustice in our communities.
Click in to contact the politicians and legislators in your area.
Your voice will be heard.'
The powerful piece ends with a call to action, asking readers to click a link to contact local politicians to demand change.
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