UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones continued to urge peaceful protests in response to the killing of George Floyd while in Minneapolis Police Department custody last week.
Jones has been an active member of the protest movement, posting a picture of himself having a discussion with a police officer in New Mexico on Monday night:
The 32-year-old New York native has maintained a strong stance against theft during protests, though:
Several major cities around the country have set curfews after some people attending protests committed acts of vandalism and theft—though it's unclear who was involved in those acts, per CNN.
Derek Chauvin, who was captured on video kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was also fired by the Minneapolis Police Department, along with three other officers involved in the arrest who are under investigation but have not been charged.
Jones said in an Instagram story (via Mike Heck of MMA Fighting) Tuesday he'll continue to combat those who try to take advantage of protests for personal gain:
"I called upon some of the men of Albuquerque, N.M. and quite a few showed up. We are fathers, we are brothers, we are business owners, we are members of this community, and we do not want to see you guys spray painting for no reason. We don't want to see you guys throwing rocks through windows for no reason. We don't want to see you breaking down hard-earned businesses for no reason.
"Tonight, we're gonna try and stop as many of you guys as we can. We come in peace. We're gonna use our voices, our numbers, and we're gonna be the difference."
Jones, who fights out of Albuquerque, last competed in UFC when he defended his title with a victory over Dominick Reyes in February.
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