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Quentin Tarantino Backlash: New York Police Union To Boycott Films After Director’s Anti-Cop March

By Bradley Ryder
Published on: 14:18 PST, Oct 25, 2015

Quentin Tarantino has ruffled the collars of a police union in New York after he joined throngs of marchers in an anti-police rally over the weekend. Tarantino faces a backlash and boycott of his movies for his participation in Saturday’s peaceful protest that took aim at police brutality, atrocities and murders of citizens by cops, according to a report by The New York Post.

Tarantino took the journey to the Big Apple’s Washington Square Park from California to voice his concerns over violence by law enforcement. Flanked by hundreds of demonstrators, the veteran director shared his sentiments in support of the growing apathy.

“When I see murders, I do not stand by. I have to call a murder a murder and I have to call the murderers the murderers. I’m a human being with a conscience. And if you believe there’s murder going on then you need to rise up and stand up against it. I’m here to say I’m on the side of the murdered.”

On Sunday, the reps for NYPD fought back and communicated their collective angst over Tarantino’s decision to inject himself into the current movement against police. Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, who calls Quentin a “purveyor of degeneracy,” issued a statement in strong rebuke of the Pulp Fiction director’s inflammatory remarks. His group takes the stance that Tarantino was out of line coming to the city to peddle his slanderous “Cop Fiction.”

“It’s no surprise that someone who makes a living glorifying crime and violence is a cop-hater, too. The police officers that Quentin Tarantino calls ‘murderers’ aren’t living in one of his depraved big-screen fantasies — they’re risking and sometimes sacrificing their lives to protect communities from real crime and mayhem.”

The statement continues by asking New Yorkers to get involved and send a strong message of censure to the controversial director. Part of the backlash is over Quentin Tarantino’s timing of the rally which took place just days after a member of the police department was gunned down Tuesday night.

Officer Randolph Holder died from a gunshot wound to the head after he and his partner approached a robbery suspect. Rev. Al Sharpton, who has a history of being outspoken against police brutality and the rank and file, laid a wreath for the fallen officer.

Tyrone Howard, 30, was wounded during the encounter and arrested on murder and robbery charges. According to an ABC7 report, early Sunday morning police investigators probing the East River found the gun used in the shooting of Officer Holder.

The group, RiseUpOctober, marched through Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Along the way, police provided traffic control even as demonstrators chanted, shouted stories of dead loved ones from the hands of police officers and used vile gestures.

Quentin Tarantino also came under fire over the timing of the event. Some say he could have delayed his participation out of respect for the dead officer and his family. He stated that while he appreciates the comments and views from critics, there were logistics to manage. Plans were already in place for him and many others to travel to New York for the protest.

“It’s like this: It’s unfortunate timing, but we’ve flown in all these families to go and tell their stories.?.?. That cop that was killed, that’s a tragedy, too.”

It’s unknown if the police union in New York will follow through with plans to boycott Tarantino’s films. Moreover, it’s unclear if other law enforcement agencies nationwide will follow suit in a show of brotherhood. Do you think Quentin Tarantino’s participation in the weekend rally was proper or part of a larger agenda as suggested by the police association?

[Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images]

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