Walmart Pulls ‘Bulletproof: Black Lives Matter’ Shirts After Police Complain

Jihan Forbes
·Associate Editor


Walmart is pulling “Black Lives Matter” shirts from its website after getting a complaint from the national Fraternal Order of Police, which finds the tops “offensive.”

The items being removed are T-shirts and a hoodie with “Bulletproof” emblazoned across the front and “Black Lives Matter” written underneath. The T-shirts, which range in style from a tank top to short- and long-sleeved versions, are priced from $16.95 to $28.95, while the sweatshirt costs $36.95.

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Image of a “Bulletproof: Black Lives Matter” top Walmart pulled from its website. (Photo: Walmart)

The FOP’s president, Chuck Canterbury, wrote in a letter to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon that merchandise that advertises “Black Lives Matter” is offensive because it aims to profit from racial tensions within the United States. “Commercializing our differences will not help our local police and communities to build greater trust and respect for one another. Turning a buck on strained relationships will not contribute to the healing process,” Canterbury says in the letter.

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The “Bulletproof: Black Lives Matter” shirts and hoodie. (Photo: Walmart)

“This should be a time for joy, and no family who has lost a son or daughter, whether in the line of duty or in a tragic event, should have their pain turned into someone else’s profit,” Canterbury went on to say.

Though the FOP letter asked for Walmart to remove “offensive shirts and sweatshirts with the slogans ‘Bulletproof’ and ‘Black Lives Matter’,” the Washington Post reports that the retailer is pulling the “Bulletproof” tops but retaining other “Black Lives Matter” merch.

The pieces that sparked the ire of the FOP are sold by Old Glory Merchandise, a Connecticut-based third-party label that sells via the Walmart website.

Interestingly, Canterbury doesn’t take issue with “Blue Lives Matter” merchandise, which Old Glory also sells.

“Blue Lives Matter” is a pro-police retort some use in response to Black Lives Matter, a movement started by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi after the death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman, for which they feel Zimmerman was not held accountable. “Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise,” the movement’s website reads. “It is an affirmation of Black folks’ contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.”

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