Quentin Tarantino fights against violence: The gore-loving director faces a boycott for protesting "murdering cops"

After he spoke out against police brutality this weekend, the police union urges a boycott of his work

Published October 26, 2015 2:17PM (EDT)

Quentin Tarantino (Virginia Mayo)
Quentin Tarantino (Virginia Mayo)

New York police union chief Patrick Lynch is asking people to boycott Quentin Tarantino’s films after the director spoke at a rally protesting police brutality this weekend.

Despite being the master of high-velocity onscreen blood splatter, Tarantino is no fan of offscreen violence, telling a crowd in Washington Square Park Saturday: "When I see murders, I do not stand by... I have to call the murderers the murderers.”

Standing in front of a collage of the faces of victims of police brutality, Tarantino proclaimed: “This is not being dealt with in any way at all. That's why we are out here. If it was being dealt with, then these murdering cops would be in jail or at least be facing charges."

According to the New York Post, police union chief Patrick Lynch was incensed by the timing of the rally, given that a New York police department officer was killed in a shooting in East Harlem four days prior.

“It’s no surprise that someone who makes a living glorifying crime and violence is a cop-hater, too,” Lynch said of the "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill" director in a statement to the New York Post.

“The police officers that Quentin Tarantino calls ‘murderers’ aren’t living in one of his depraved big-screen fantasies — they’re risking and sometimes sacrificing their lives to protect communities from real crime and mayhem,” he continued. “New Yorkers need to send a message to this purveyor of degeneracy that he has no business coming to our city to peddle his slanderous ‘Cop Fiction.’ ”

Speaking to the Post, Tarantino agreed that the timing was unfortunate, but doesn’t nullify the need for protest. “It’s like this: It’s unfortunate timing, but we’ve flown in all these families to go and tell their stories,” said Tarantino. “That cop that was killed, that’s a tragedy, too.”


By Anna Silman

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Nypd Police Brutality Quentin Tarantino