Beyoncé caught flack for her pro-Black performance at the Super Bowl and police and conservatives responded by calling for a boycott.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the first to take a shot at her performance by saying, “I think it was outrageous. I don’t know what the heck it was. A bunch of people bouncing around. I thought it was really outrageous that she used it as a platform to attack police officer who are the people who protect her and protect us. And what she should be doing in the African-American community, and all communities, is build respect for police officers.”
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke compared her performance to the KKK. “Them coming out, Beyoncé in those Black Panther-type uniforms, would that be acceptable if a band, a White band came out in hoods and white sheets in the same sort of fashion? We would be appalled and outraged,” he said.
The Tampa police also said that officers were not running to sign up to work her tour when it goes to the city in April. And the Miami Fraternal Order of Police are calling for police across the country to participate in a nationwide boycott of her tour. In a statement, Javier Ortiz, president of the Miami FOP, said, “The fact that Beyoncé used this year’s Super Bowl to divide Americans by promoting the Black Panthers and her antipolice message shows she does not support law enforcement. We ask all law enforcement labor organizations to join our boycott across country and to boycott all of her concerts.”
And the NYPD wanted to force Beyoncé to apologize for her performance.
Minister Louis Farrakhan struck back at police and conservatives during the annual Saviour’s Day which took place in Detroit. He said the Fruit of Islam will provide security if police boycott her shows.
“She started talking that Black stuff and White folks, didn’t know how to deal with that,” Farrakhan said. “You taught us about the Holocaust and we had sympathy. But when one Black woman shows independence, look how they treat Beyonce. You’re going picket? You’re not going to provide police protection? But the FOI will!”
Tampa police have said that her show will be secured by officers.
