How not to handle a publicity act...

In February many people were outraged by Beyonce and her half-time show during the Super Bowl. Soon afterwards police agencies reported that officers refused to work her concerts because of her stated hostility to law enforcement. I more than agree with that. I may not agree with what you believe but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. That being said, I will not go out of the way to assist you by working a job off duty at your concert. But I believe police organizations openly announcing their resistance to her concerts is the wrong way to go. As Brendan Behan said, "There is no such thing as bad publicity, except your own obituary."

Beyonce was here in Houston the past Saturday and the Coalition of Police and Sheriffs (COPS) protested the event.

Beyoncé concert inspires dueling demonstrations

Two opposing demonstrations outside NRG Stadium provided fans with pre-concert activity well before Beyoncé Knowles Carter took the stage for her Formation World Tour Saturday night...

...Nation of Islam members, dressed in suits and bowties, formed a couple of rows about eight people deep, arms clasped either in front or behind their backs. They gathered in response to another demonstration, set to take place an hour later.

The Coalition of Police and Sheriffs — known as COPS — held a news conference to challenge the pop priestess’ Black Lives Matter, Black Panther and other political themes they considered “anti-police” during her halftime Super Bowl performance in February. Dressed in blue “Police Lives Matter” T-shirts, they planned to shine a thin blue light after sunset toward the stadium.

Boycott urged

Leaders of law enforcement organizations in Miami, New York and other cities urged officers nationwide to boycott working security for Beyoncé when the tour launched in April.

In response to the COPS demonstration, members of the Nation of Islam gathered and asked her fans — collectively called “The Beyhive” — to swarm with them in counterprotest.

“Beyoncé is Houston’s treasure to the world,” said Robert S. Muhammad, an activist in Houston and southwest regional representative for the Nation of Islam. “We don’t have to agree with everything she does, but we do agree that she deserves in her hometown to be received as the ‘Queen Bey’ that she is, and we’re just part of the Bey-hive.”

Muhammad said the organization has dispatched its men — called the Fruit of Islam — to protect Beyoncé as her Formation tour travels across the nation.

He said the show of support also reinforces the message that the Nation of Islam will not “allow uniformed, armed members of law enforcement to intimidate our cultural icons.”

Muhammad said the Super Bowl performance was pro-black and not anti-police...

...About 25 people gathered at the COPS demonstration 1.5 miles away. Their demonstration stayed a distance from the concert for a reason, COPS president Tony Ragsdale said.

“We didn’t want to make anything offensive,” Rags-dale said. “We didn’t want to do anything that might bring out any type of clash between our organization or any others.”

To borrow the phrase from Dr Evil, Riiiight. Her show was anti-police and she knew everything she did was going to stir up a storm, a lot of free publicity for her upcoming tour. No argument, she's smart enough use her assets to make herself the subject of the news.

While I agree with the view of COPS, I would respectfully suggest we take a tip from NYPD. After their mayor showed his anti-police attitude, the officers simply turned their back on him. We should simply quietly decline to take any offered extra employment at her concerts. If it's an assigned duty, that's different, perform your assignment. She has the right to her opinion, but she doesn't have the right to employ police officers if they don't want to take the money.

Be safe friends.