Police Union: Every Cop Should Boycott Beyonce

Javier Ortiz accuses singer of trying to 'divide Americans'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 19, 2016 3:50 AM CST
Police Union: Boycott Beyonce
Beyonce performs during halftime at Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, Calif.   (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

The chief of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police is so incensed by Beyonce's latest video that he wants every cop in America to boycott her upcoming tour. In a statement, Javier Ortiz accuses the singer of trying to "divide Americans by promoting the Black Panthers and her anti-police message," CNN reports. The union chief says he "was one of the tens of thousands of law enforcement officers [who] didn't watch the Super Bowl halftime show out of respect for our profession" but "mistakenly" saw the "Formation" video while flipping through TV channels. He calls for "all law enforcement labor organizations to join our boycott across the country and to boycott all of her concerts."

Ortiz says the union voted to have all law enforcement officers boycott Beyonce's April 27 concert in Miami, reports the Miami New Times, which notes that it isn't clear whether this means cops will refuse to provide security for the concert or are simply not buying tickets. A Miami Police Department spokesman tells the Huffington Post that Ortiz doesn't speak for the city and that whatever the union decides, the concert venue will be protected. Earlier this week, there were calls for an anti-Beyonce protest rally outside NFL headquarters in Manhattan. Rolling Stone reports that attendance at the Tuesday morning rally peaked at three people. (More Beyonce stories.)

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