Zayn Malik "deeply saddened" by George Floyd death

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 03 June 2020

Ex-One Direction singer Zayn Malik posts a statement condemning "racism, ignorance and arrogance" following the death of George Floyd.

Zayn Malik has posted a message hitting out at "racism, ignorance and arrogance" following the death of George Floyd last week.

In horrific footage, Floyd - an African-American man - was seen pleading for his life as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes before he died.

The incident has led to civil unrest across the US and the wider world and has also put the Black Lives Matter movement firmly back in the spotlight.

In a message to his 33.2 million followers on Instagram, former One Direction singer Malik wrote: "What is happening right now is exactly what happens when you leave a wound untreated and act obliviously in its constant presence.

"This uprising has escalated due to the racism, ignorance, and arrogance that burdens America and the world. I am deeply saddened by every act of discrimination and can not stay silent."

Last week Malik's partner Gigi Hadid posted her own statement on the incident hitting out at what she described as "THE PANDEMIC OF RACISM".