Carmelo Anthony Calls Athletes to Action 'By Any Means Necessary' After Police Shootings

On Friday morning, following the murders of five police officers in Dallas during protests over the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, NBA star Carmelo Anthony took to Instagram and asked other athletes to take a stand with him.

“I’m all about rallying, protesting, fighting for OUR people,” he wrote. “Look I’ll even lead the charge, By Any Means Necessary.”

In the post, which invoked Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Anthony included a picture of the famed 1967 Cleveland summit where black athletes including Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jim Brown voiced their support of Muhammad Ali and his refusal to be drafted into the Vietnam War.

Also Read: Snipers Kill 5 Cops During Dallas Rally to Protest Police Shootings, 7 Officers Injured (Updated)

“I’m calling for all my fellow ATHLETES to step up and take charge,” Anthony wrote. “There’s NO more sitting back and being afraid of tackling and addressing political issues anymore. Those days are long gone.”

Anthony also condemned the killing of five police officers in Dallas. Eleven officers in total were shot on Thursday night.

“We have to be smart about what we are doing though. We need to steer our anger in the right direction. Shooting 11 cops and killing 5 WILL NOT work.”

Read Anthony’s entire statement below:

First off let me start off by saying ” All Praise Due To The Most High.” Secondly, I’m all about rallying, protesting, fighting for OUR people. Look I’ll even lead the charge, By Any Means Necessary. We have to be smart about what we are doing though. We need to steer our anger in the right direction. The system is Broken. Point blank period. It has been this way forever. Martin Luther King marched. Malcolm X rebelled. Muhammad Ali literally fought for US. Our anger should be towards the system. If the system doesn’t change we will continue to turn on the TVs and see the same thing. We have to put the pressure on the people in charge in order to get this thing we call JUSTICE right. A march doesn’t work. We tried that. I’ve tried that. A couple social media post/tweet doesn’t work. We’ve all tried that. That didn’t work. Shooting 11 cops and killing 5 WILL NOT work. While I don’t have a solution, and I’m pretty sure a lot of people don’t have a solution, we need to come together more than anything at this time. We need each other. These politicians have to step up and fight for change. I’m calling for all my fellow ATHLETES to step up and take charge. Go to your local officials, leaders, congressman, assemblymen/assemblywoman and demand change. There’s NO more sitting back and being afraid of tackling and addressing political issues anymore. Those days are long gone. We have to step up and take charge. We can’t worry about what endorsements we gonna lose or whose going to look at us crazy. I need your voices to be heard. We can demand change. We just have to be willing to. THE TIME IS NOW. IM all in. Take Charge. Take Action. DEMAND CHANGE. Peace7 #StayMe7o

A photo posted by @carmeloanthony on Jul 8, 2016 at 8:02am PDT

Gretchen Carlson Lawsuit: What We Know So Far (Photos)

Here's what we know so far about former "Fox and Friends" host Gretchen Carlson's lawsuit against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes.
Fox
Carlson filed the lawsuit on July 6, two weeks after Carlson was fired by Fox News. Her show, "The Real Story," was averaging 1.2 million viewers at the time of her termination.

Also Read: Fox News Host Gretchen Carlson Sues Roger Ailes for Sexual Harassment
Fox
The lawsuit claims that Carlson was subjected to a hostile work environment by her "Fox and Friends" co-host Steve Doocy, whom she claims made sexist comments toward her. She alleges that Ailes ignored her complaints and called her a "man hater."
Fox
The lawsuit also claims that Ailes told Carlson that they "should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago" and attempted to sabotage her career by removing her from "Fox and Friends," slashing her pay, and blocking her from resources and opportunities afforded to other Fox News reporters.

Also Read: Gretchen Carlson’s 5 Most Shocking Allegations in Roger Ailes Sexual Harassment Suit
Getty
After news of Carlson's lawsuit broke, a supercut of "Fox and Friends" clips depicting Carlson being objectified went viral. The montage from Bloomberg Politics included co-hosts calling her a "skirt" and asking her if she got experience from a previous "broad-casting" gig.

Also Read: Gretchen Carlson Is Objectified on ‘Fox & Friends’ Over and Over Again in This Supercut (Video)
Fox
Ailes called the lawsuit "false" and "offensive," claiming that Carlson was attempting to strike back at Fox News for not renewing her contract last month due to low ratings.

Also Read: Roger Ailes Rips Gretchen Carlson’s Sexual Harassment Suit
Fox
Carlson's lawyers struck back, saying that Carlson's afternoon show was the highest-rated news show in its time slot.
Ailes also noted that Carlson praised him in the book she published last year, "Getting Real." "Over the years I’ve come to value our time together," Carlson wrote. "He encourages me to be myself, to relax and to not try so hard to look smart."

Also Read: Gretchen Carlson Called Roger Ailes a ‘Brilliant’ Boss in Her Book
Fox
Fox News' parent company announced in a statement that it was launching an internal investigation into Carlson's claims: "While we have full confidence in Mr. Ailes and Mr. Doocy, who have served the company brilliantly for over two decades, we have commenced an internal review of the matter."

Also Read: That Time Gretchen Carlson Walked Off ‘Fox & Friends’ Over Sexism (Video)
Fox News
On July 21, Ailes announced his immediate resignation from Fox News, with Rupert Murdoch taking over his position. As part of a settlement agreement, Ailes received $40 million from Fox upon his departure.

Also Read: Details of Roger Ailes’ $40 Million Deal to Exit Fox News
On Sept. 2, New York Magazine reporter Gabe Sherman released an expose detailing Ailes' history of abuse towards women during his tenure at Fox News. In response, Ailes has hired Charles Harder, the lawyer that represented Hulk Hogan in his lawsuit against Gawker, and sent a complaint to New York Magazine.
On September 6, Fox announced that it had reached a settlement with Carlson, and Ailes' attorney told TheWrap that the agreement does not involve Ailes paying Carlson. "We are proud that [Carlson] was part of the Fox News team," Fox said in a statement. "We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve.”