Since George Floyd lost his life at the hands of four police officers on May 25, not only has his death sparked activism across the world, but it's also caused some to mock the way he died. There was a cruel challenge going around social media where people would take photos of themselves kneeling on the necks of friends and family members, and even Crossfit issued an apology after their CEO tweeted "Floyd-19." Now, Anytime Fitness in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin is issuing an apology after they shared the George Floyd-inspired "I Can't Breathe" kneeling workout.
Anytime Fitness corporate tweeted that they are anti-racist and would never approve of such a workout, adding that the specific franchise owner at that Wisconsin location has taken full responsibility. "No matter the intent, we absolutely do not condone the words, illustrations or actions this represents. To our employees, owners and members, we are truly and profoundly sorry that this incident occurred."
They added that the owner and the entire staff would undergo "antiracism training" that the company announced last week. "One of our publicly-stated commitments to antiracism work is to bolster education efforts for our franchise owners to lead with empathy, love and respect. This incident makes it clear that we have work to do in this space; immediately, we are sharing this incident with our franchise owners worldwide as an example of what not to do, why it is offensive, and what locations should be doing instead." Still, some are calling for the franchise to be closed as soon as possible.
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