North Carolina police union votes against Beyoncé boycott, still concerned about singer’s ‘anti-police’ images
To boycott or not to boycott? This is the question several police unions across the country are asking about Beyoncé and her upcoming stadium tour...
To boycott or not to boycott?
This is the question several police unions across the country are asking about Beyoncé and her upcoming stadium tour.
Tuesday, the Raleigh Police Protective Association voted unanimously against boycotting an upcoming Beyoncé concert in North Carolina.
Police Unions in Tampa and Miami, Florida and Nashville, Tennessee are asking its members not to work security for the singer’s concerts.
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The Raleigh vote came with some caveats, per their president Matt Cooper:
While we do have concerns over the perceived anti-law enforcement images Ms. Knowles uses in her most recent music video and her halftime performance at the Super Bowl, we voted unanimously not to boycott the May 3 concert. We encourage police officers to make an individual decision whether to volunteer to work off-duty at this concert.
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Cooper also emphasized that the decision against a boycott did not mean the officer condone violence against police officers. He said the union would continue to speak out against “negative depictions of our officers, including violence targeted at the courageous men and women who give their lives to keep our communities safe.”
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Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock said that it was a matter of police duty to protect free speech:
One of those rights under our constitution is the right of free speech and self-expression. Not everything that I protect I agree with, but that’s not my job. My job is to protect those folks and give them the opportunity to express themselves.
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