The backlash surrounding a tweet sent Tuesday by actress Susan Sarandon has continued to gain traction. The tweet focused on the Jan. 28 funeral for New York Police Department Officer Jason Rivera, one of two officers shot and killed while responding to a call about a domestic argument in a Harlem apartment in January. Sarandon’s tweet was sent a day before the funeral of the other officer, Wilbert Mora.
In the tweet, Sarandon featured another tweet that compared the “ocean of officers” that lined a New York street for Rivera’s funeral to fascism. Sarandon added the comment “so, if all these cops weren’t needed for crime that day, doesn’t that mean they aren’t needed any day?”
In the days since Sarandon tweeted, local and national police organizations have led the backlash.
“Of all the days for @SusanSarandon to share her true feelings towards police, she picks the day we bury our fallen brother to make such inflammatory & brainless comments,” the National Fraternal Order of Police tweeted. “When you spend more time hating on cops than you do your own career, it’s no wonder why you’re a D-list actor.”
The New York City Police Benevolent Association (NYC PBA) described Sarandon as “living on a different planet.”
“This is what privilege looks like: a wealthy actress, safe in her bubble, mocking heroes & making light of the crisis that cops are battling alongside our communities,” NYC PBA said.
