Pop star Justin Bieber isn't known for having a combative relationship with his fans. But in the wake of the Buffalo shooting, he's calling out some of his devotees after they chose not to respect a moment of silence for the victims.
Bieber performed in the city Saturday night just hours after the incident, in which 10 people were murdered in what authorities are calling a racist hate crime.
Performing again Sunday night, Bieber held a moment of silence during the show, and while they were the minority, some fans disrespectfully shouted during the silence.
And Bieber wasn't having it.
See his Instagram post about the moment below.
Bieber began his speech by acknowledging the tragedy and calling on the crowd to "honor" the victims.
"As you know, there’s been tragedy in the city, but what we’re gonna do tonight, is we’re gonna honor those people, and I would love if we could just take a moment of silence."
"That would mean a lot to me."
When he posted Bieber posted the moment to Instagram, he challenged the yelling fans directly in his caption. Bieber wrote:
"To the people who couldn’t stay silent to honor the lives that were so tragically lost, I urge you to ask yourself why?"
In a follow-up video, Bieber put a finer point on the issue, urging his fans to take up the cause of racial justice.
Bieber told the crowd:
"There’s so much division in this world. So much racial injustice."
"And as you and I both know, racism is evil and it is diabolical."
"But what you and I get to do, is we get to be the difference makers. We get to be the people who continue to have the conversations with our friends and our families and our loved ones, who continue to be allies."
On social media, people applauded Bieber for speaking up.
@miranda_morriis/Instagram
@ashleylibrera/Instagram
@sophiemariemason1998/Instagram
@imjamesbieber/Instagram
@karlawalle/Instagram
@iialyfe/Instagram
@gabmanginee/Instagram
@realsk8/Instagram
Here's hoping Bieber's words inspire his fans to work toward a better future.
@huntichon/X
@bigugly/X
@JonCowboyBear/X
@TommyJerry4000/X