Police Target, Attack Quentin Tarantino 'Mafia-Style'

UPDATE 3 NOV. 2015

Today, Tarantino told the Los Angeles Times, “I’m not being intimidated… I’m not taking back what I said. What I said was the truth.”

Original Story

In a ‘Mafia-style’ attack on targeted individual  Quentin Tarantino, Philadelphia and Los Angeles police groups   said Thursday that they will join New York City officers’ call to boycott the film director’s work after his remarks at Rise Up October protest against police brutality last weekend. Police attacks, however, are fueling an opposite response among the public. Other filmmakers, celebrities and families of people police murdered are firmly standing behind Tarantino for his courage to speak out against “genocide” being committed by America’s police. 

Police ‘Mafia-style Protection Racket’

Police Terror Must Stop – Which Side Are You On? is the mantra of Rise Up October protests that have Mr. tarrantino making headlines for his paticipation. Rise Up October co-initiator Carl Dix responded to the police boycott. “Police threats against Tarantino amount to a mafia-style protection racket, only the payoff being demanded is a political line, not cash. ‘Don’t dare criticize police who kill people, or we’ll make it impossible for you to work in our towns.’”

Calling the attacks on Tarantino “outrageous,” Dix and Cornel West, the two lead organizers of #RiseUpOctober, are challenging police union officials to a debate.

The police attack on Tarantino aims to send a threat message regarding becoming a targeted individual, according to Dix. The threat is not just aimed at Tarantino, but to anyone whose voice carries great weight in society.

“if you speak out, we will come after you, threaten your livelihood and attempt to scare you back into silence,” Dix said. “They want the people who suffer the brunt of this brutality alone and ignored. This is unacceptable.”

A representative of the Revolutionary Communist Party, Dix told the Associated Press, “It really is an attempt to squelch any discussion by people in the arts or prominent people in other fields of taking up and discussing controversial social issues.”

Dix asserts the American public must not allow police intimidation or silencing of people exposing police brutality in the United States.

“I’m a human being with a conscience,” said Tarantino, quoted by The Associated Press. “And if you believe there’s murder going on, then you need to rise up and stand up against it. I’m here to say I’m on the side of the murdered.

“Video after video has shown unarmed Black, Latino, and Native Americans being tazed, stomped, brutalized, and shot in the back by police and almost never are the police even indicted. What kind of society allows this?”

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Dix asks. “What does it say when those who raise their voices against this are the ones who come under attack? We must not allow the intimidation or silencing of those who use their influence to shine a light on the epidemic of police terror.”

After Tarantino’s pledge to stand with those murdered by police, New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association president Patrick J. Lynch called for a boycott of his films, saying in a statement that Mr. Tarantino was a “cop-hater” and someone who makes a living “glorifying crime and violence.”

“Artists need to be able to express themselves on progressive causes without fear of retribution and attack,” Dix fires back in his written statement. “We will have Tarantino’s back.”

William J. Bratton, the New York City police commissioner, also criticized Mr. Tarantino.

“Shame on him, particularly at this time when we are grieving the murder of a New York City police officer,” Mr. Bratton said on Monday during an interview with John Gambling on WNYM-AM. “There are no words to describe the contempt I have for him and his comments at this particular time.”

The day after New York police called for a Tarantino boycott, a union representing Los Angeles police officers joined them.

“We fully support constructive dialogue about how police interact with citizens,” said Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, in a statement on Tuesday. “But there is no place for inflammatory rhetoric that makes police officers even bigger targets than we already are.”

Mr. Tarantino “took irresponsibility to a new and completely unacceptable level this past weekend by referring to police as murderers during an anti-police march in New York,” Lally said. “He made this statement just four days after a New York police officer was gunned down in the line of duty. And questioning everything we do threatens public safety by discouraging officers from putting themselves in positions where their legitimate actions could be falsely portrayed as thuggery.”

Lally referred to New York police officer Randolph Holder, shot to death while chasing a suspect in East Harlem four days before the Rise Up October police brutality protest (reported by the Times as an “anti-police protest”). Officer Holder’s funeral was Wednesday.

Tarantino told the New York Post: ”It’s like this: It’s unfortunate timing, but we’ve flown in all these families to go and tell their stories … That cop that was killed, that’s a tragedy, too.”

Cornel West, co-initiator of Rise Up October, professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary asks in the statement released Thursday, “Can we keep the focus on what I, Brother Carl Dix, Brother Quentin Tarantino, Sister Eve Ensler, and THOUSANDS others tried to do – a moral focus on the unnecessary deaths of those killed by police? Of course the killing of police is wrong, but the killers do go to prison. Ought not policemen go to prison when they kill us?”

Unconscionable Genocide, Urgently Needing to be Addressed

A host of filmmakers are adding statements in support of Tarantino. They assert the issue involves unconscionable genocide, urgently needing to be addressed.

Charles Burnett, filmmaker: “I can’t say enough about Tarantino. He said what needed to be said. I hope his rage encourages all of us to speak out against genocide. When his new film opens, I will be there to show my support.”

Jen Marlowe, Author, Filmmaker, Playwright: “It’s absolutely unconscionable that Quentin Tarantino should face intimidation and threats for speaking out about state murder. As an artist–as a citizen–Mr. Tarantino’s right to free speech and to dissent must be protected, not attacked.”

Shaul Schwarz, filmmaker – Narco Cultura, Southern Rites: “Police brutality in this country is an urgent problem and the last thing that journalists, artists and filmmakers, should be, is bullied to not say what they think, this is exactly what is done now to Tarantino and I think it’s a disgrace.”

Spiritual leaders also stand behind Tarantino.

Taigen Dan Leighton, Zen Buddhist teacher, priest, scholar, and author states, “The Black Lives Matter movement and Rise Up October is a nonviolent reasonable response to the urgent need for change in the face of weekly or more incidents of murder or brutalization by police of unarmed African-Americans. This horrible pattern of police violence against African-Americans is a threat to all citizens.

“I deeply respect and congratulate Quentin Tarantino for his participation and support of this demonstration. He represents me and many other “white” Americans who are morally alarmed at this pattern of police violence, but could not be present ourselves at this event.

“At a time when our society urgently needs a respectful, unprejudiced, responsible police force to protect all citizens, regardless of race, I am further alarmed at the police officials threatening boycott and even suppression of Mr. Tarantino’s creative work and livelihood. We must protect the rights of all citizens to speak our truth, and we must work together to heal the violence in our society. This attack against Quentin Tarantino only increases the problem, and reflects poorly on our police forces.

Families of victims of police murder have added to the statements endorsing Tarantino as a national courageous hero. They are among 100 families in New York for Rise Up October.

Alice Howell, grandmother of Justus Howell murdered by Zion, IL police, 2015, stated,” Shame on you, for attacking such an individual who has a conscience and know that these murders are wrong and calling murderers just what they are… murderers. I commend you Quentin Tarantino for standing with the families, exercising your rights as a human being and Rising Up against these murderers. We will not be silent. We stand with you Quentin!”

Marie Hamilton, mother of Dontre Hamilton, killed by police in Milwaukee, 2014 called on others with clout to join the call to end police brutality as Tarnatino is doing:

“Given the very different class of people Quentin Tarantino is surrounded by, I appreciate the time he spent with me, my family, and other families who have been traumatized by police brutality. It’s a tragedy that so few other privileged people have come out, and taken the blinders off, as clearly as Quentin has.” She added, “For me, meeting him was not about the limelight. It was heart-wrenching and heart-felt. I appreciate him because he took a HUMAN stand. I applaud him for coming out BOTH days…. He KNEW there would be backlash, and he was compelled by hearing our stories to come out the whole weekend and support us.

“I wish a lot more of the upper class, the 1%, would take the blinders off and open up their hearts to the solution. It’s not going away, regardless of your economic status. You’re NOT exempt… He could have taken all the time he wanted when he had the microphone. INSTEAD, he wanted families to speak out. THAT was compassion. We need a lot of people with money and pride to let it go, and speak out… This affects all people, police brutality is killing all people. RISE UP!”

Chris Silva, brother of David Silva, murdered by Kern Co. Sheriffs and California Highway Patrol, May 8, 2013 said Tarantino “knows he had to stand up to murder by police, and I thank him for being with us. He probably expected the ‘negativity’ because we get it everyday, the families, and myself with David’s murder over two years ago – all these internet trolls with their negative comments aimed at us… Quentin called out the NYPD and LAPD and all cops who kill unjustly. He is not saying anything more than what these cops have done. I’m so glad he stood up, because many celebrities may wear a t-shirt but don’t always show up and stand up for what they believe.

“This [police] boycott call is ridiculous and it makes it sound like Tarantino means all police are killers… He didn’t say that. He said there are murders and murderers, cops killing blatantly and for no reason at all. Recognize and hear the truth. I am sure many are telling him to stay quiet but Quentin Tarantino should know he has the backing from us families and many others.”

At the rally at Times Square, mothers and fathers of children slain by police spoke. As one speaker said, “If you want to hear the truth, you must let the suffering speak.”

Photos and Images Credit: SodaHead, Getty Images