TAMPA, Fla. (WTSP) – As Beyoncé kicks off her Formation World Tour Wednesday night in Miami, the Miami Fraternal Order of Police is still calling on police officers to boycott security working for the event in response to her Super Bowl performance and music video “Formation,” which Miami FOP President Javier Ortiz said is anti-police.
“It’s a shame that Beyoncé [used] a national platform to increase attention onto herself at the expense of America,” Ortiz said in a text. “The Fraternal Order of Police asked to meet with Beyoncé in order to put any concerns of the community on the table. She doesn’t want to meet because all she is doing this for is to create more attention for herself. This isn’t about fixing problems. She is about creating more problems.”
However, it’s important to differentiate between the police union, which Ortiz represents, and the police department. Officer Frederica Burden, spokeswoman for the Miami Police Department said the concert will be fully staffed by officers working the event, and in no way will security of the guests attending the concert be compromised.
The controversy surrounding Beyoncé’s performance goes back to February when she released the “Formation” video, in which there are images of her on top of a sinking New Orleans police cruiser, as well as strong references to the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
The video was followed by an electric Super Bowl 50 performance where Beyoncé and her dancers wore costumes reminiscent of the Black Panthers and held up fists in a salute of Black Power. The singer was praised for using her platform to bring awareness to a wider audience of police brutality on African Americans. It was also criticized for promoting racial division and anti-police sentiment.
Tensions were so strong across the country over the performance and music video that in a rare interview with ELLE, Beyoncé spoke candidly about the backlash. She told the magazine:
“But anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe. But let's be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me. I'm proud of what we created and I'm proud to be a part of a conversation that is pushing things forward in a positive way.”
Tampa Police Department spokesman Steve Hegarty said there will be more than enough officers on hand to staff the singer's show when she performs on Friday. Tampa police spent days trying to clear up confusion over staffing the concert after reports circulated that officers were refusing to sign up.
Beyoncé performs at Marlins Park in Miami at 7:30 p.m. Her next stop will be in Tampa on Friday, where she will perform at Raymond James Stadium.
The singer released her sixth studio album Lemonade over the weekend. The album includes the controversial single Formation, and Lemonade has largely been lauded as her most important work to date as it touches on a number of themes pushing themselves to the forefront of society, including black feminism, police brutality, and race. She also stays true to her musical tradition of love and loss.
Emerald Morrow is a reporter with 10News WTSP. Like her on Facebook and follow her on Instagram and Twitter. You can also email her at emorrow@wtsp.com.
RELATED STORIES...
