Retail chain Walmart will no longer be selling some "Black Lives Matter" apparel.
The Washington Post reported that Fraternal Order of Police President Chuck Canterbury sent a letter to Walmart Tuesday asking that it does not sell sweatshirts and T-shirts with "Black Lives Matter" and "Bulletproof" on its website.
The items are sold through Old Glory Merchandise, a third-party music and entertainment apparel provider based out of Connecticut.
"Commercializing our differences will not help our local police and communities to build greater trust and respect for one another," Canterbury wrote.
Walmart said in a statement, "Like other online retailers, we have a marketplace with millions of items offered by third parties that includes Blue Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter merchandise. After hearing concerns from customers, we are removing the specific item with the 'bulletproof' reference."
The items referenced say "bulletproof" across the top of the shirt and "Black Lives Matter" in smaller letters right below.
"The bulletproof thing goes to the new assertiveness of some violence-prone individuals to take action directly against police. We find it offensive for that reason," James Pasco, FOP executive director, told CNN.
According to CNN, Old Glory owner Glenn Morelli said he will remove the "Black Lives Matter" shirts from his site.
"It wasn't a big seller at all. The 'Blue Lives Matter' sells more than the 'Black Lives Matter' or 'bulletproof' shirts combined," Morelli said. "We don't like to offend anybody."
"Black Lives Matter" and "Blue Lives Matter" shirts still appear for sale on the Old Glory website.
Walmart still has a number of apparel with "Black Lives Matter" for sale on its website, as well as some items that say "blue lives matter." Both items appear to be offered by Old Glory Merchandise.
On Wednesday, Canterbury sent a letter with a similar request about "Black Lives Matter" apparel to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, according to a Facebook post.
In a reply to a commenter on Facebook, the FOP said it "objects to hate speech or shirts that call for violence."
About the Author
