Actor Cole Sprouse said he was arrested while taking part in a Black Lives Matter protest in Santa Monica.

Sprouse, best known for his role in TV drama Riverdale, said he was with a group of peaceful demonstrators in Southern California on Sunday when he was detained by police.

Like many cities across the US, Santa Monica, west of Los Angeles, has been the scene of unrest following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd.

Sprouse, 27, revealed his arrest with a lengthy post on Instagram, saying he did not want to distract from the protesters’ cause, adding “black lives matter”.

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A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica. So before the voracious horde of media sensationalism decides to somehow turn it about me, there’s a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter. Peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest. the media is by nature only going to show the most sensational, which only proves a long standing racist agenda. I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica. We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested. When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us. It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement. This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me, and I hope the media doesn’t make it such. This is, and will be, a time about standing ground near others as a situation escalates, providing educated support, demonstrating and doing the right thing. This is precisely the time to contemplate what it means to stand as an ally. I hope others in my position do as well. I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps. I’ll speak no more on the subject, as I’m (1) not well versed enough to do so, (2) not the subject of the movement, and (3) uninterested in drawing attention away from the leaders of the #BLM movement. I will be, again, posting the link in my story to a comprehensive document for donations and support.

A post shared by Cole Sprouse (@colesprouse) on

He said he and other demonstrators were given the option to leave Santa Monica – which was under a 4pm curfew on Sunday – before being arrested with zip ties.

Sprouse said: “It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement.”

Sprouse, who starred alongside his twin brother Dylan in Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, said now is a time to “contemplate what it means to stand as an ally”.

He added: “I hope others in my position do as well. I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps.”

Sprouse said he would speak no further on the arrest, for fear of drawing attention away from the Black Lives Matter movement.

He also shared links to organisations offering help for protesters.