What is the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria? See why Beyoncé, Rihanna and more are speaking up

As the #EndSARS movement continues to gain steam on social media, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Gabrielle Union and more stars are using their platforms to call for justice and reform in Nigeria.

Since Oct. 3, Nigerians have taken to the streets to protest SARS, an anti-robbery squad established in 1992 to fight violent crimes such as robbery and kidnapping. However, officers from the police force have been accused by Amnesty International and other human rights groups of widespread abuses, including torture and killings.

The hashtag #EndSARS first started in 2017 as Nigerian activists brought awareness to the anti-robbery squad's human rights violations, but has been trending for the past two weeks after a video circulated showing a man being beaten, apparently by police officers of SARS.

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In response, Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu announced on Oct. 11 for SARS to be disbanded, but officers are being redeployed to other police units. Calls for justice escalated when Nigerian police allegedly opened fire at protesters demonstrating in Lagos at Lekki Toll Bridge. This prompted more celebrities to speak up about the violence and injustice, including Beyoncé, whose visual project "Black is King" gained widespread recognition and praise for tapping into African culture earlier this year.

"I am heartbroken to see the senseless brutality taking place in Nigeria. There has to be an end to SARS," she wrote in a message posted to Instagram on Tuesday. "We have been working on partnerships with youth organizations to support those protesting for change. We are collaborating with coalitions to provide emergency healthcare, food and shelter. To our Nigerian sisters and brothers, we stand by you."

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Nigerian singer-songwriter Tiwa Savage shared an emotional 20-minute video to Instagram on Friday, calling on "Beyonce and her team" to use their platforms to spread awareness on the events in Nigeria.

"You cannot ignore this. You cannot be quiet. Because we all celebrated the 'Black is King.' I personally was so proud to be part of that project, but please you cannot be quiet on this," Savage said. "If I'm saying that I'm an Afrobeat artist and we all know that this whole genre and all of my colleagues all know that this came from Afrobeat that was birthed by Fela Kuti."

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Rihanna shared her condolences, writing that she "can't bare to see this torture and brutalization that is continuing to affect nations across the planet."

"It's such a betrayal to the citizens, the very people put in place to protect are the ones we are most afraid of being murdered by! My heart is broken for Nigeria man!! It is unbearable to watch! I'm so proud of your strength and not letting up on the fight for what's right!"

John Boyega has also been vocal about the events in Nigeria since protests erupted and is urging people to become more aware of what the country is going through.

"Nigeria has struggled for such a long time. Since independence, we have gone through various regimes, various changes in terms of political power and now Nigerians are very, very tired," Boyega told USA TODAY during an interview Monday.

Following Tuesday's events, the "Small Axe" actor shared a black image to his Instagram page with the words "Lekki Toll Gate Massacre" and the date "20-10-2020" written across.

"I don’t know what to say. To wage such war on your own people...They must pay," he captioned the post.

Burna Boy said he is "doing my best to make sure sanctions are imposed against Nigerian Government Officials" and urged others around the globe to "please do the same."

Yara Shahidi expressed that she was "heartbroken" by the events going on in Nigeria and directed people to her Instagram page for more information on what's going on.

"With the intentional suppression of news and devicive algorithms I've shared an #EndSARS highlight on my Instagram profile with the info and resources I've seen!," she tweeted. "Please check it out and recommend sources!"

Gabrielle Union tweeted a video of the violence and urged her followers to spread awareness about what's happening in Nigeria.

"We need everyone's voice to amplify what is going on as we speak!! The world is watching," she wrote.

Nigerian artist Davido, known for his hit singles "Fall" and "If," has been vocal about the movement since Oct. 9, using his platform to share updates from protesters and pushing for reform. After the violence escalated Tuesday, Davido asked Nigerian government officials "how can u even sleep?"

Trevor Noah used his “If You Don’t Know Now You Know” segment on Tuesday to educate viewers on #EndSARS and compared the events to protests against police brutality in America amid the death of George Floyd.

“This issue isn’t just unique in the U.S. Whether it’s U.S. police targeting Black Americans or Nigerian police targeting other Nigerians, police know they can abuse their power without any ramifications because the people they arrest don’t have the power to respond,” Noah said.

Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote an op-ed in the New York Times about her personal experience with SARS in Nigeria and shared in horrifying detail what citizens and protesters in the country were going through.

Artist Swae Lee tweeted: "Save our brothers and sisters."

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Prior to Tuesday's events, stars including Chance the Rapper and Lil Baby offered their support for those Nigerian citizens in the midst of protesting.

Kanye West tweeted that he will “stand with my Nigerian brothers and sisters to end police brutality, the government must answer to the peoples cries.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: EndSARS: Beyonce, Rihanna, more call out police brutality in Nigeria