Following the shocking deaths of two black men at the hands of police officers, celebrities have taken to social media to express their anger and demand convictions. Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were shot dead by police on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, and Beyoncé lead the tributes.
Taking to her official Facebook page, the former Destiny's Child singer shared a post with the message: "We are sick and tired of the killings of young men and women in our communities. It's up to us to take a stand and demand that they 'stop killing us'.
Beyoncé lead the reactions and tributes to Alton Sterling and Philando Castile
"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."
Actress Zendaya wrote: "How many more times must this happen for us to matter? How many more lives must we lose? BLACK. LIVES. MATTER. #AltonSterling."
Following the shootings the city of Dallas was plunged into chaos on Thursday night as a protest lead the killings of five police officers, who were all gunned down. At least six others were left injured, and three people were taken into custody.
Drake also shared his thoughts and confessed the killings had left him "scared"
A video of Alton's horrific murder has circulated the internet, causing singer John Legend to ask: "How much more evidence do they need?"
He pointed out that people were still making excuses despite the video proof. He said: "Some of you are still all 'well, uh, he shouldn't have moved his leg so provocatively'. We shouldn’t' have to jump through hoops to prove black people shouldn't be shot by police during routine traffic stops."
Rapper Drake also shared a powerful message on Instagram, admitting the murders had left him "scared" and insisted: "It's impossible to ignore that the relationship between black and brown communities and law enforcement remains as strained as it was decades ago."