Beyonce's 'Formation' Tour Faces Backlash From Miami Police Union
There's controversy surrounding the first stop of Beyonce's Formation tour, which will take place in Miami.
The Miami Fraternal Order of Police released a statement saying it would allow its members to boycott her show, which is set for April 27, over what the group believed to be anti-police symbolism during the singer's Super Bowl halftime show performance and in her "Formation" music video.
"Beyonce is in no way anti-police, and I find it ridiculous and absurd that they would even say that," BET News correspondent Marc Lamont Hill told ET on Friday.
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"Like any great artist," he adds, "she is challenging us to think about society and societal problems - like police brutality."
Despite the union's boycott announcement, a spokesperson for Miami PD said, "Anybody that wants to go to that concert, that wants to enjoy themselves," adding that attendees can "rest assured that the police are going to be there to protect them."
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Additionally, the Tampa Police Department also dispelled concerns that the Tampa, Florida show on Apr. 29 would not be staffed by police, tweeting, "We do have [officers] signed up to work the Beyonce concert, and the event will be fully staffed."
Tampa Police followed up the message with a cheekier tweet, writing, "What?! @TampaPD officers have been in #formation for days signing up to keep the #Beehive safe! #Truth #Fact."
Beyonce's Super Bowl performance featured dancers dressed in attire many said paid homage to Black Panther uniforms, and dancers held up a sign demanding justice for Mario Woods, a 26-year-old black man who was shot over 15 times by San Francisco police after allegedly slashing a stranger on the street. Beyonce’s video for Formation features a boy dancing in front of a line of police officers, who eventually raise up their hands in surrender.
Backstage at the game, Beyonce told ET it made her feel "proud" to sing the song in front of the Super Bowl audience, explaining, "I wanted people to feel proud and have love for themselves."
Watch the video below.