Beyoncé Responds to Police Shootings: 'This Is a Human Fight'

Photo of Beyoncé, courtesy artist

Beyoncé on Thursday afternoon reacted to the horrific shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, calling it "a human fight."

"No matter your race, gender or sexual orientation," the singer said in an open letter on her website. "This is a fight for anyone who feels marginalized, who is struggling for freedom and human rights."

"We don't need sympathy. We need everyone to respect our lives," she declared, before offering a sort of rallying cry: "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."

She continued by offering hope that "we all have the power" and "hate will not win," encouraging others 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."

Beyoncé's letter follows back-to-back incidents in which Sterling and Castile were both shot dead this week by police officers.

In Sterling's case, bystanders captured the actual shooting on video, while Castile's fiancée live-streamed the moments immediately after an officer appeared to have shot and killed Castile during a routine traffic stop, allegedly for a broken taillight.

See Beyoncé's full response here.