Hollywood stars like Jane Fonda, Taraji P Henson, John Legend and Natalie Portman have all signed an open letter calling for a stop to increasing police budgets. The letter, titled #DefundPolice calls for a change in how law enforcement is funded, reports Variety.

In the letter, they state that they would like less money going towards funding police budgets and more going to communities.

“Black communities are living in persistent fear of being killed by state authorities like police, immigration agents, or even white vigilantes who are emboldened by state actors. According to the Urban Institute, in 1977, state and local governments spent $60 billion on police and corrections. In 2017, they spent $194 billion. A 220 percent increase,” the letter states.

“Despite continued profiling, harassment, terror and killing of Black communities, local and federal decision-makers continue to invest in the police, which leaves Black people vulnerable and our communities no safer,” it continues.

The letter comes amidst massive civil unrest post the death of George Floyd in police custody.

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