If Beyoncé wanted a fight with the police, she just got it.
A high-profile police stand-off has been brewing since Beyonce’s extremely-controversial halftime performance at Super Bowl 50. Mega-stars like Bruno Mars, Coldplay, and Lady Gaga offered harmlessly wholesome entertainment during the interlude, while Beyonce’s marquee featured outfits resembling Black Panther and Black Power regalia. The performance, viewed by more than 112 million people, also featured an unmistakeable ‘X’ formation (believed to commemorate the legacy of Malcolm X) and was soon followed by the equally controversial video for ‘Formation’.
Now, a number of police unions are speaking out against the singer, with some urging all-out boycotts.
“We urge all law enforcement officers to boycott the purchase of Beyonce’s music and the purchase of tickets for her performances.”
The blowback is just taking shape, though police unions in Miami, Nashville, New York, and Tampa, Florida are taking the lead. “Beyoncé used this year’s Super Bowl to divide Americans by promoting the Black Panthers, and her anti-police message shows how she does not support law enforcement,” said Miami police union president Javier Ortiz in a statement shared with Digital Music News.
The Tampa Police Benevolent Association expressed ‘disgust’ at both the halftime performance and the ‘Formation’ video. “The Tampa PBA is disgusted with Beyonce’s performance on the night of the Super Bowl and equally disgusted with her new video ‘Formation,'” a statement from the group blasted. “The PBA does not support any artist who spreads an anti-police message. We urge all law enforcement officers to boycott the purchase of Beyonce’s music and the purchase of tickets for her performances.”
The video for ‘Formation’ sharply raised the stakes with a more direct criticism of police, while boosting the Black Lives Matter campaign. In a stark, post-Katrina backdrop in New Orleans, Beyonce sang atop a water-submerged cop car, just one of several unfavorable police portrayals.
Beyonce’s aggressive stance is a risky bet, and could introduce some tricky situations on her upcoming tour. The singer currently has sold-out dates in all three cities, which raises questions of whether local police officers will volunteer to keep order at the gigs. Tampa is leaving the decision up to individual police officers, but Nashville is urging cops not to volunteer. “We ask officers to refuse to support the efforts of artists who promote a false narrative of law enforcement attacks on black citizens,” the president of Nashville’s Fraternal Order of Police.
In New York City, the NYPD is also pushing back, but not advocating a boycott. “As a celebrity figure, Beyoncé should take greater responsibility in her divisive actions that further complicate relationships between communities of color and the members of law enforcement,” the New York’s Sergeants Benevolent Association declared.
Looking ahead, Beyonce is likely to face the consternation of dozens more police associations nationwide, with issues potentially coming from radio conglomerates, major venue operators, and even the NFL. But those gatekeepers have little control over all-important outlets like YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and Tidal, and Beyonce has proven a smart strategist when it comes to digital platforms.
There are times when being an artist can be controversial. But Beyonce’s performance took things to another level.
The Black Panther’s may have been a respectable self-defense organization at one time. But that organization has been dead for more than 30 years. Beyonce’s decision to honor the Black Panthers is fine. But to also wear an ammo belt doesn’t honor the Black Panthers. It honors the new fake group with the same name but with rocky principals and lose morals. It reinforces the ideology that violence should be met with violence, even if that violence is taken out on some completely innocent individual.
I have been at odds with and critical of police departments around the country for more than a decade. But this is one area I completely agree with them. Beyonce’s performance was anti-law enforcement and even if that wasn’t her goal she knew very well it would be interpreted as such. At a time when racial tensions are running higher than they have in decades, it is safe to say her performance was of very poor taste.
Stand off? No. It’s people who don’t want to work for a 1%er that openly supports hate groups, and the 1%er is trying to force them to. These police officers want to “walk off” not “stand off”. That being said …
The Black panthers are responsible for the deaths of a number of officers (including at least one black officer). I would hope that would be common knowledge … but one thing that is not common knowledge is the standing of the party today. They “re-branded” themselves and are now “The New Black Panther Party”.
The Southern Poverty Law Center considers them a hate group and have this to say about the organization:
“The New Black Panther Party is a virulently racist and anti-Semitic organization whose leaders have encouraged violence against whites, Jews and law enforcement officers.”
Exactly. I grew up in the Bay Area in the 70’s/ 80’s and spent my twenties here. I’ve had first hand experience with The Black Panther Party and their associates the Nation of Islam (there are other groups as well, not unlike what one finds with jihaddist groups: there’s a lot of fluidity with organizational names and structures, it shouldn’t come as a surprise as most of them are to one degree or another Muslim, so there is cultural overlap).
Within these organizations you can find some INTENSELY hateful, violent people. Black Panthers have killed numerous police officers. They tortured people – Black people. They killed black women. But The Nation of Islam does FAR worse …
Now, The Black Panther Party has “re-branded” and now call themselves “The New Black Panther Party”. Fiddling with the name of a group doesn’t change a group’s ethos or behavior.
I doubt Beyonce knew much about this stuff, she comes from privilege (and will remain in privilege, so she doesn’t – can’t – understand the underclasses. Poverty is a lived experience, one that can NEVER be understand unless you’ve been there) and she obviously isn’t a history or political buff, otherwise she wouldn’t go for that crap.
Had she really experienced these groups or done some research and found out truth behind the “cool shades & leather” and learned that the charity they do is a front intended to obscure the crime, violence and hate that they are really about. Also, from personal experience: They are EXTREMELY sexist.
The KKK, ISIS and the Drug Cartels use similar techniques – and, they too, are extremely sexist.
Black Lives Matter members have attacked the police and one admitted cop-killer said he is BLM. They foment violence and murder against police (they are all about violence – I get death threats regularly from them just for posting pro-police comments).
About a week ago a Black Lives Matter member (at the protest prank at the NFL headquarters) spoke about a “coming race war”. Others call for the killing of officers, while others threaten rape and encourage stalking officers’ families. I think Officers should have a right to stay away.
This isn’t a protest or a crime scene – it’s a wildly wealthy celebrity on a money making tour. She and her label can afford to hire the people they need.
The Southern Poverty Law Center??
You’re talking about a White organization located in MONTGOMERY ALABAMA where some of the heaviest and deadliest forms oppression and racism were carried out at the hands of White people, and using THEIR word to help make your point….ok.
Why is it that you point out that the Panthers killed officers, but you don’t point out how many officers routinely have illegally “legally” killed Blacks since police inception?
Also, I challenge you to provide multiple examples of the Panthers committing the acts that you accuse them of, because I know that you can’t.
How can you consider the panthers a sexist group when so many of the leaders were women??
You go out of your way to condemn Blacks for taking a stand against white supremacy but you say nothing about the Philadelphia police and their BOMBING of WOMEN and CHILDREN in the MOVE organization.
Furthermore, Black Lives Matter is an organization funded by white supremacists, and not the people. Where do you think the money comes from for people to be professional protesters? Its a contained movement with no tangible results funded by white supremacists who have hand picked the “leaders” who will get nothing done, as history to this point has proven.
You have outed yourself as a suspected white supremacist with this post. Its because of people like you that we are about to engage in a race war.
Nobody has time for the opinions of white supremacists when it comes to how we choose to protest. Its your own guilt and fear, that causes you to lash out.
Nothing will save you in the end though. All evil deeds must be atoned for and your community and people like you will have to answer for your hate at some point.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is highly respected by the left … I guess we can’t trust their extensive information on white supremacists either ? Because they HEAVILY focus an white hate groups.
So which is it? Are they lying about black supremacist groups but not white ones? Or are they lying about all the hate groups? Or are they telling the truth about all the hate groups?
I haven’t had time to compile all of the mis-deeds of the BPP and their associates, it’s not something I want to do, but I guess I’ll have to. FUN! :/
Read the Washington Post’s (anti-police, liberal publication) COMPREHENSIVE research conducted over all of 2015 in the article called: “A year of reckoning: Police fatlly shoot nearly 1000”. They tracked ALL the officer involved deaths.
Out of MILLIONS of arrests only 965 people were killed.
Of those killed only 4% match “the narrative” of innocent black men being slaughtered (they are being slaughtered – by each other to the tune of of THOUSANDS of murders a year). Most of the suspects were violent, armed, other races or mentally ill.
The writers – obviously anti-police – really do their best to make the police resemble that is indulged in by low information do-gooders, criminals and criminal supporters. The article is called “A Year of Reckoning: Police Fatally shoot Nearly 1000”
It lays bear the lie that is “the FALSE narrative” … Which may have been true FIFTY YEARS AGO. But times the have ‘a changed.
Black Lives Matter & Co (which includes BPP and NOI) are stocked with con artists, violent criminals, criminal support and misguided do-gooders being used.
As I said – my PERSONAL experience with Black Nationalists is many – not all – but MANY – are sexist to one degree or another. Again, that’s my personal experience.
Black Lives Matter is a white supremacist organization?? Never heard that one before … that’s quite an assertion and I would ask you to do what you asked me: Provide proof … examples, because that is REALLY hard to believe.
And just to clear the confusion … I am NOT a white supremacist. And, no, I didn’t “lash out” I wrote comment detailing my experience and opinions on the issue and shared information.
Lastly, no matter how much you want it … there isn’t going to be a “race war” and making vague gleeful death threats couched in a “prophecy” of genocide is HORRIBLE.
Finally, someone who gets it in this forums. I was beginning to lose what little remaining faith I had left in humanity.
The Black Panthers did not kill anyone!!!!!!! EVER. You have them confused with the KKK.
@ anticfox
First, there is no right or left.
There are suspected white supremacists on both sides of your “right” and “left” so don’t try to use that old white supremacist trick on me.
Nobody cares about the Southern Poverty Law Center being respected by the “left”.
Secondly, I don’t have to read anything from the Washington Post because I am fully aware of COINTELPRO, and how the GOVERNMENT consciously strategizes to limit black progress.
Neither the police, nor white people as a whole have proven themselves worthy of respect or trust by the black community so yeah we’re anti police…so what.
You show up talking about us killing each other, when statistically its proven that crimes are committed against people in the criminal’s own community first.
This is true for white communities, Chinese, mexican etc and is basic common sense.
If someone in east la commits a murder more than likely he or she is mexican and so is the victim.
You definitely are a suspected white supremacist. All of your talking points are the exact same as confirmed White supremacists so because of people like you there will never be harmony between the races.
Ferguson (Michael Brown)
Milwaukee (Dontre Hamilon)
Staten Island (Eric Garner)
Victorville (Dante Parker)
Cleveland (Tamir Rice)
Charleston (Walter Scott)
The list goes on…
Jordan Davis (Florida)
Kendrick McDade (California)
Ezell Ford (California)
Oscar Grant (California)
The list goes on…
SHE IS CORRECT.
We are entering era of “Minority Report” CCCP was a land of FREE $10 pulled you out of ANNNNNY trouBBBLE!
Today, in today’s economy, we have TAX PAYER bribed ROBOTS with cameras on their chests executing millions of stupefied LAWS OF THE LAND!
They will not give you a brake – the letter of law is only option- ROBOT will not risk his $100K UNION enforced eden!
For me communist Poland was truly the land of FREE.
Lots of Americans are unaware that the U.S. government and police state has declared total war on black communities , their music , their culture and their poetry. The police got a problem with , Beyonce , the Black Panthers and even , Malcolm X , a leader that has been dead well over forty years. Wow ! And the reason they have declared war on our black , X , eXistence is because the uncle Toms have lost control and connection over the communities they were appointed by the Ku Klux Klan governmental authorities to oversee our great black oppression as well as depression: LX
Lots of African Americans don’t know what the black X eXistence is ? The black X eXistence is the family name you walk around with that was given to you in the protocol of a branded animal during slavery when the cream of the cracker crop plantation owners purchased your ass ! ‘ Terror Poet ‘ immortal eXcuse my french ! :: Literati X
The , black X eXistence , span from the United States of America into the Caribbeans , deep into the Jamaica ghettos where the revolutionary rude boy dreads are laid , Marley , style : One , black X eXistence , one murder she wrote kill. . . :: LX. . .
The head of the Fraternal Order of Police is a piece of ….., instead of him making a statement of “Good Cops should report Bad Cops during police shootings”, he chose to make statements that are in line with Jim Crow Laws that Constitutional Rights OF all “Freedom of Speech” MATTERS. (OR DOES IT WHEN YOUR SKIN IS BLACK)
John Kennedy said “Fraternal Order of Police Union” was the most dangerous proposition ever enacted.
It should be the peoples Union.
Is wanting your country back, mean going back to pre-Civil Rights ERA.