Walmart has pulled some Black Lives Matter clothing from its shelves after the country’s largest police union called the apparel “offensive” and accused the company of “profiting from racial division.”
The retail giant will no longer carry a shirt and hoodie that said “bulletproof,” with “Black Lives Matter” written underneath.
However, there are no known plans to pull its other Black Lives Matter merchandise. Walmart also sells “Blue Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter” apparel.
The decision comes after the National Fraternal Order of Police wrote a scathing letter to the company on Tuesday.
“At a time of year when we as a nation and indeed, as a world, should be coming together in hopes of peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, these third party sellers are profiting from racial division,” group president Chuck Canterbury wrote.
“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 wrote. He argued that continuing to sell the apparel will “damage your company’s good name amongst FOP members and other active and retired law enforcement officers.”
The apparel is sold through Walmart’s website by Old Glory Merchandise, a third-party apparel dealer. In a statement, Walmart defended the selling of the “bulletproof” apparel.
“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 retail chain’s statement said.
