New York Police Union Calls for Boycott of Quentin Tarantino Films

Andy Katz/Pacific/Barcroft

A New York Police Union has called for a boycott of Quentin Tarantino’s movies after the acclaimed director participated in a protest against police brutality this weekend.  The protest came just days after the murder of police officer Randolph Holder in a bike theft investigation.  

The rally, organized by RiseUpOctober, was supposed to protest the violent deaths caused by police brutality across the US.  Namely, and specific to the NYPD, the recent deaths of Eric Garner and dozens of others unarmed black men.  However, the timing of the protest became unfortunate due to the regrettable death of officer Holder.

Tarantino rallied a speech where he called the deaths of people at the hands of the police murder:

“I’m a human being with a conscience,” said Tarantino. “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. 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.”

Comments like these lead to harsh comments from the NYPD who consider Tarantino is the last person to speak out against violence due to the extreme violence depicted in his movies. In a statement Sunday, Police Benevolent Association president Patrick J. Lynch said, “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 continued. “New Yorkers need to send a message to this purveyor of degeneracy that he has no business coming to our city to peddle his slanderous ‘Cop Fiction.’ It’s time for a boycott of Quentin Tarantino’s films.”

Tarantino admitted that the timing of the protest was unfortunate, but that it was unmovable since they had flown in guests other than Tarantino into the city.  He also lamented the death of the police officer by saying: “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.”  Which does bear the question, had the protest come a few days after the death of Eric Garner, would a boycott of Tarantino films be called for?

Eleven people were arrested at the RiseUpOctober rally for charges ranging from disorderly conduct, obstructing vehicular traffic and resisting arrest, according to the New York Post

Tarantino’s next film, Hateful Eight, is set to premiere this Christmas.