The president of the national Fraternal Order of Police, the country’s largest police organization, on Tuesday asked Walmart to stop selling t-shirts and sweatshirts which say “Black Lives Matter” and “Bulletproof” on the department store’s website.
(WashingtonPost)- On Tuesday night, Walmart said it would remove the shirts which say “Bulletproof,” but not the “Black Lives Matter” shirts.
“Black Lives Matter” is a slogan and protest movement which emerged after the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012 and police-involved slayings in 2014, and is seen as offensive by many in law enforcement.
The website Breitbart.com posted an article last week which said that Walmart was “selling Black Lives Matter clothing and other items,” though the merchandise is actually being sold through Walmart’s website by Old Glory Merchandise, a music and entertainment apparel dealer out of Connecticut.
Chuck Canterbury, the FOP president, wrote to Walmart CEO C. Douglas McMillon Tuesday to advise him that the Walmart website was selling “offensive shirts and sweatshirts,” and “I urge you to prohibit the use of the Walmart name and website for the retail sale of these products.”
The Walmart site and Old Glory’s site also sell “Blue Lives Matter” shirts.