Quentin Tarantino lost some fans over the weekend in New York – the city’s police.
The film-maker, whose eighth film The Hateful Eight open this December, has become the target of a boycott on the part of New York’s largest police union, after he was spotted taking part in a march against police brutality called Rise Up October on Saturday.
The Oscar-winning director flew in from California for the rally, which was attended by around 300 protesters.
Quentin Tarantino marched with us today in #NYC in protest of police brutality & negligence. #RiseUpOctober pic.twitter.com/J0F1TQwUa0
— Simon Moya-Smith (@SimonMoyaSmith) October 24, 2015
According to the Guardian’s growing database, The Counted, more than 930 people have been killed by police in the US so far this year, of whom 436 were white, 226 black and 143 Latino.
“This is not being dealt with in any way at all. That’s why we are out here,” Tarantino told AFP on Saturday. “If it was being dealt with, then these murdering cops would be in jail or at least be facing charges.”
In response, Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, said in a statement: “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.”
He added: “It’s no surprise that someone who makes a living glorifying crime and violence is a cop-hater, too. It’s time for a boycott of Quentin Tarantino’s films.
“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.”
Saturday’s rally came in the wake of the shooting death of 33-year-old officer Randolph Holder. Holder was fatally shot in the city’s East Harlem neighborhood while pursuing a bicycle thief. A suspect has been charged with murder and robbery in the case.
Tarantino acknowledged on Saturday that the timing of the rally was “unfortunate”, according to the New York Post.
The NYPD arrested 11 protesters on Saturday, charging most of them with disorderly conduct, obstructing vehicular traffic and failing to disperse. At least one was charged with resisting arrest.
