Nashville, Tampa Police Unions Join Beyoncé Boycott

Matt Cowan/Getty

Nashville, Tampa Police Unions Join Beyoncé Boycott

Matt Cowan/Getty

On Thursday, a Miami police union called for a boycott of the first concert on Beyoncé’s upcoming Formation World Tour due to a perceived “anti-police message” in her “Formation” music video and Super Bowl performance, and now other police unions around the country are following suit. Beyoncé’s second stop on the tour is Tampa, and as the The Daily News reports, Tampa Police Benevolent Association president Vinny Gercitano has posted on Facebook urging “all law enforcement officers to boycott the purchase of Beyoncé’s music and the purchase of tickets for her performances.”

The Tampa PBA is disgusted with Beyonce’s performance on the night of the Super Bowl and equally disgusted with her new...

Posted by Tampa Police Benevolent Association - Tampa PBA on Thursday, February 18, 2016

Similarly, Beyoncé is performing in Nashville on 5/5, and The Tennessean reports that a Nashville police union is encouraging its members to not volunteer to work the show. “It’s pretty obvious there’s an anti-policing sentiment in her messages,” says Sgt. Danny Hale, president of the Nashville Fraternal Order of Police, the Andrew Jackson Lodge #5. “If we volunteer to work her event, we’re basically saying you can say or do anything you want to when it comes to police officers and we’re just going to sit and take it. We’ve been under attack for the past eight, 10, 12 months. Some things that are done and said are just not fair, and it’s not right. All lives matter, including law enforcement officers and citizens, no matter their race.” In response, Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson has issued a statement saying that “The public safety/public service mission of the police department must rise above anyone’s personal views concerning a performer,” and if there aren’t enough volunteers to work the concert, officers will be assigned to do so.

Pro-tip: never use the phrase “all lives matter.” Seriously, just don’t do it.

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