BTS: Black Lives Matter announces receipt of $1m donation as K-pop fans drown out ‘racist’ hashtags

‘We are moved by the generosity,’ the foundation’s managing director Kailee Scales said

BTS are being praised for donating $1m (£789,000) to Black Lives Matter following the killing of George Floyd.

Black Lives Matter has confirmed receipt of the group donation, via Big Hit Entertainment, which was registered earlier this week as protests continued to break out around the world.

“We are moved by the generosity of BTS and allies all over the world who stand in solidarity in the fight for Black lives,” Kailee Scales, managing director for Black Lives Matter, said.

“Black people all over the world are in pain at this moment from the trauma of centuries of oppression.”

Last month, Floyd died after a white police officer named Derek Chauvin was filmed kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes in Minneapolis.

Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder.

Three other officers – J Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao – were arrested and charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

“We stand against racial discrimination,” BTS previously wrote on its official Twitter page. “We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together. #BlackLivesMatter.”

Just last week, K-pop fans helped drown out a hashtag considered racist on Twitter by flooding it with clips of their favourite artists.

The K-Pop community took it upon itself to ensure that the #whitelivesmatter hashtag wouldn’t be used to amplify the racist messages that typically accompany it.

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To do this, they used the hashtag and instead attached it to videos of artists performing on stage.

The move was met with widespread approval on Twitter with many users thanking K-Pop fans for the initiative.

On Saturday (6 June), thousands of people gathered in UK cities to stand against racism and demand change after Floyd‘s death.

Madonna was filmed in attendance.