Leslie Jones has urged protestors in America not to cause destruction during protests.
The ‘Saturday Night Live’ alum previously carried a sledgehammer when she attended protests against racial injustice 30 years ago, and has said that whilst she felt like a "hero" at the time, she now regrets bringing the object with her, and would discourage other protestors from causing destruction.
Leslie spoke amid the current protests taking place across America following the death of George Floyd, who died when a police offer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes during an arrest.
When asked what advice she’d give her younger self during the protests, she said: "I would say, ‘Don’t take that sledgehammer. Don’t take that sledgehammer.’ Because the sledgehammer literally made me a hero in so many places. I opened up so many doors with that sledgehammer. I remember I broke – and I have to tell you this – it was a supermarket and there was a chain fence and they couldn’t get it open. So, I came with my sledgehammer and … it went open and everybody was like, ‘Yeah!’ "
The 52-year-old comedian and actress quickly realised the damage she’d helped cause the following day when she saw people "crying about their business being burnt down", and vowed to never join riots during protesting again.
She added: "I can laugh about it now, but imma tell you, I didn’t laugh when I was riding through my city after that and seeing burnt down buildings and having nowhere to shop. And, you know, seeing black people crying about their business being burnt down. It wasn’t funny then, you know?
"So, I think I would say to my 22-year-old self, ‘What do you think you’re gonna change by going out there with that?’"
Now, Leslie is using her platform to speak out against injustice, and to urge her fans to vote in the upcoming US presidential election.
Speaking during an appearance on ‘Late Night With Seth Meyers’, she said: "I’m gonna use my platform to make sure everybody understands the importance of voting. I think we all just need to realise that we’re all human and living on the same Earth and need to start working together before we don’t have nothing."