Contrary to some initial reports, Lego is not pulling police sets amid George Floyd’s death and protests against racism and police brutality in America.
Tech Crunch reported that earlier in the week, the toy brick company sent a letter to marketing affiliates that requested many kits be removed from all sites and marketing. Among those kits are products that include various representations of police, such as police vests and police stations.
CNBC reported that the initial report about the removal of more than 30 products, which also included the White House, emerged from the trade site The Toy Book.
However, Lego said that’s not the case.
“We would like to clarify that we have not removed any sets from sale. The misunderstanding is the result of an email that was sent on our behalf to members of our affiliate marketing programme,” a Lego spokesperson said in an emailed statement to CNBC. “The intent of the email was to ask that they pause promoting and marketing a selection of Lego products on their sites. We paused all marketing across our own social channels earlier this week in response to the tragic events in the U.S.”
“There is no place for racism in our society,” the spokesperson added. “Our mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow, and that includes inspiring them to be tolerant, inclusive and kind.”
Protests in against police brutality and the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police have been nationwide, including outside the White House.
Many brands, including Lego, took part in #BlackoutTuesday, an initiative started in the music industry in which companies paused their usual social media posts in place of a black image. Many companies issued statements against racism and in support of African Americans and others announced donations to support communities impacted by police brutality, African Americans and bail out funds for protesters.
"We stand with the black community against racism and inequality," Lego said in its #BlackoutTuesday tweet. "There is much to do. We will donate $4 million to organizations dedicated to supporting black children and educating all children about racial equality."
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