Twitter and Instrgam go dark as tens of millions post for Blackout Tuesday in solidarity with George Floyd protests

Social media feeds have gone dark as tens of millions of people posted for Blackout Tuesday in solidarity with the George Floyd protests that swept the United States.

Instagram and Twitter users shared black squares as they ceased posting on their profiles as part of the digital action to call for racial equality around the world. Through this silent cyber protests,  people observed a one day break to pay tribute to George Floyd.

Through this action, Millions joined voices of outrage by the killings of black people in the US. The viral hashtag has continued even today.

Statistics from Instagram only displayed posts with the hashtag #blackouttuesday had been used more than 22 million times by Tuesday evening.

It comes as demonstrations have exploded across cities in the US and around the world over the last week after a white police officer was filmed kneeling for minutes on the neck of George Floyd, an African-America man who later died in police custody.

Actor and artists, as well as the UN, joined this tribute with stars such as Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Katy Perry among those taking part. Film and sporting heroes on their part, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton also shared the hashtag. Other stars to join the rally include Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey.

Meantime, under the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused, members of the music industry halted work for a day to assist the black community. Platforms, such as Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music, joined the movement and are now using their apps to promote black artists.