UK: Premier League star Andre Gray speaks out at 'Knives Down, Bikes Up' demo

M/S Police watch on as kids ride their bikes
SOT, Andre Gray, Watford striker: "Obviously supporting the movement of Bikes Up, Knives down - such a powerful message and it's got such a massive backing, you can see how much they're affecting the young kids and bringing them together and helping them. Not many charities do that and I feel like the movement and the Wickers charity [Youth charity based in Hackney] are really pushing to do that and I respect it a lot, and it's something I just wanted to be involved in."
M/S Young people wearing stab vests
SOT, Ryan Taylor, Professional BMX rider: "To anyone that's out there carrying a knife on a day to day basis, if you're out there causing trouble, robbing someone whatever you're doing. Don't stab your future man that's all you're doing, you're literally stabbing yourself you're stabbing your future. You're ruining opportunities for what you've got coming. You may not see what potential you have right now, because you're clouded by so much stuff that's going on around you and the people that you're involved with, it just means you need to change your circle you need to focus on other stuff. There's so many good opportunities around us now with the blessing of social media, the way that marketing works and all this stuff now like. The possibilities really are endless and you need to be in love with what you're doing and if you don't love what you're doing then you're doing the wrong thing. I'm sure you don't love carrying a knife around with you every single day so it only means one thing bro, put the knife down."
M/S Cyclists on their bikes
SOT, Andre Gray, Watford striker: [on stabbing] "Yeah look it's a part of my life and that was how it is growing up, so I understand a lot of these kids and I understand where it stems from and how it can end. But that was part and parcel obviously I managed to come out the other end of it and I was lucky at the same time."
C/U Andre Gray in a group photo
SOT, Andre Gray, Watford striker: [on online abuse] "Like, the best thing I've seen the other day was to have photo identity to even open an account, erm and whatever. And I was on the way to stop it, they try and tells us to not be on social media or to delete our social media but at the end of the day we are bowing down to people that shouldn't be bowed down to. That's standing up for what you believe in and standing up for our race and standing up to have equal rights."
M/S Young man watches the "OK" banner being unveiled
C/U Ryan Taylor holds up an "OK" gesture wearing a stab vest
M/S DLR signage
SCRIPT
Watford Striker Andre Gray and professional BMX rider Ryan Taylor joined the ‘Knives Down, Bikes Up’ demonstration against youth knife crime in London on Friday.
"Obviously supporting the movement of Bikes Up, Knives down - such a powerful message and it's got such a massive backing, you can see how much they're affecting the young kids and bringing them together and helping them,” Gray said at the demonstration.
Taylor also added that young people who carry knives are sabotaging their own future and that there are many opportunities for young people today to get out of knife violence.
The demonstration is part of the wider 'Bikestormz' project started in 2015 by Londoner and Instagram star Jake O’Neill after his friend’s older brother was killed in a knife attack. The project encourages young people in London to take up cycling and BMX riding as an alternative to getting involved in violent crime.