Beyoncé just recently performed at the halftime show at the Super Bowl along side Bruno Mars and Coldplay. However, many viewers thought that she was making political statements during her routine. First, an all female singing group backed up Beyoncé while wearing costumes that appeared to be similar to the attire that the Black Panthers group wore during the 1960’s. Each of the girls was sporting a huge afro, a bandolier of bullets, black leather clothing and a black beret like the style the Black Panthers were known for wearing. Second, the controversial routine also had the back up dancers in a formation of an x, which people believe to be symbolic for the human rights activist Malcolm X. This x formation was also featured in her Formation music video, which was released a day before the Super Bowl.

The reason why many police departments are so upset is because both the Black Panther group and Malcolm X were known for their violent stances that inflicted harm on many police officers. With tensions already rising in connection with the “black lives matter” campaign, many of those involved in law enforcement think that Beyoncé should not have made a public tribute to people like Malcolm X and the Black Panthers. Some police officers claim that she should promote people who respect the uniform, not glorify those who would destroy the image. Now the police officers are saying that this act, at the half time of the most watched television program of the year, has made their job more difficult. They fear that people will be encouraged to riot and assault law enforcement due to the encouragement from one of music’s biggest superstars.

These new found fears have now led many law enforcement officers to call for a boycott of Beyonce’s music and concerts. They are asking people to show their support for the police by refusing to attend the concert Beyoncé is hosting when she comes to Dallas (and other concerts across the country). They believe that her halftime performance was only a taste of what people would get at her concert, and that people should not encourage her radical beliefs by buying tickets to her show and giving her both more money and a platform to express her views. In addition, officers in other cities are saying that the police should not show up to protect Beyonce at her concerts because of her disdain for law enforcement (there are reports that, ironically, Beyonce received a police escort to her Super Bowl performance, even though she later mocked them). Regardless of how this turns out, Beyonce has created a significant amount of ill will in the law enforcement community.