Blue Lives Matter, a group of active and retired law enforcement officials, issued a statement on Monday demanding all Americans boycott Ben & Jerry’s after the ice cream maker announced its public support of Black Lives Matter last week.
“Ben & Jerry’s went beyond making a statement in support of civil rights when they actively accused law enforcement of widespread racism,” Blue Lives Matter wrote. “By spreading these false and misleading statements, Ben & Jerry’s lends an appearance of legitimacy to the baseless claims that police officers are killing men based on the color of their skin. This message has inspired the assassination and attempted assassination of police officers, and it costs officers their lives.”
In its announcement in support of Black Lives Matter, Ben & Jerry’s provided a seven-point list on how systemic racism is real, from housing segregation and the racial wealth gap to the criminal justice system. It said the announcement was inspired by the footage of police killings of African Americans, most recently in Charlotte, North Carolina. While the creators said they “respect and value the commitment to our communities that those in law enforcement make” and “do not place the blame for this on individual officers,” they note that the criminal justice system isn’t fair to all.
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