Walmart will no longer sell T-shirts that say “Bulletproof: Black Lives Matter” on its website, the retailer announced, after receiving a complaint from the Fraternal Order of Police.
The protest shirts in question are sold through Walmart’s website by Old Glory Merchandise. Tee-shirts that say simply “Black Lives Matter” as well as “Blue Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter” are also available on the website. FOP president Chuck Canterbury wrote to Walmart’s CEO complaining that the shirts would “damage” the company’s “good name” among law enforcement officers. “Commercializing our differences,” he wrote, “will not help our local police and communities to build greater trust and respect for one another.”
On Tuesday night, Walmart responded with a statement explaining, “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.”
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