Former President Barack Obama spoke out live Wednesday for the first time since the start of the national unrest over the killing of George Floyd.

The town hall event is the first time Obama has made public remarks about the protests that have swept the nation in response to the death of Floyd, who died last week after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes.

The online conversation was hosted by the Obama Foundation and a part of an initiative Obama started while in the White House called My Brother’s Keeper, which was intended to address persistent issues facing young men of color.

Obama praised young people for taking to the streets.

Because historically, so much of the progress that we’ve made in our society has been because of young people,” Obama said.