Jon Jones returns to streets to help with clean-up and stop rioters

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones may be embroiled in a controversial battle with UFC boss Dana White, but that’s not distracting him from trying to keep his city intact amidst ongoing protests and riots.

Jones posted a video on Monday of him confronting individuals with spray cans, presumably would-be vandals, on the streets of Albuquerque, N.M., where he lives. Jones simply repeated over and over, “Give me the spray cans.” Both individuals he approached on the video eventually did so.

Though there have been numerous peaceful protests, Jones had see enough of the looters, rioters, and vandals that were hitting the streets, generally in the hours of darkness, wreaking havoc on cities across the United States. Jones called them out, doubting any sincerity that they were rioting in the name of George Floyd, the black man killed by a now-former police officer in Minneapolis. That officer has since been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

“Is this s–t even about George Floyd anymore?!? Why the f— are you punk ass teenagers destroying our cities!??” Jones said in a comment accompanying the video of him taking the spray cans.

“As a young black man, trust me, I’m frustrated as well, but this is not the way, we are starting to make a bad situation worse. If you really got love for your city (505), protect your s–t. All you old heads need to speak up, call your young family members and tell them to come home tonight.”

Jones and friends help clean-up after Albuquerque rioters

Later Monday, Jones put out a tweet and Instagram post showing the work he and friends of his were doing to repair the damage done by looters in Albuquerque. He challenged “real men” to do the same.

“Lots of work to do out in the streets today men. If you’re a real one, call your boys and get to work,” he wrote.

He also posted several short videos to his Instagram stories, showing the many people that came out to help clean up the city and to try and convince rioters to stand down.

“I called upon some of the men of Albuquerque, N.M. and quite a few showed up,” Jones said. “We are fathers, we are brothers, we are business owners, we are members of this community, and we do not want to see you guys spray painting for no reason. We don’t want to see you guys throwing rocks through windows for no reason. We don’t want to see you breaking down hard-earned businesses for no reason.

Jones followed up in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, expressing his pride for Albuquerque, noting that it had thus far been a night mostly of peaceful protests following the chaos of previous days.

“So proud of the city of Albuquerque tonight, the night is still young but as of now the looting is almost nonexistent. The peaceful protest was beautiful.”

So proud of the city of Albuquerque tonight, the night is still young but as of now the looting is almost nonexistent. The peaceful protest was beautiful #NewMexicopride pic.twitter.com/fNAJqFqPPt

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 2, 2020

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