Beyonce says she admires and respects police officers
Beyonce sparked controversy when she released her music video for "Formation" in February.
Critics called the video, which showed a little boy dancing in front of a police riot squad, anti-police. The video also showed Beyonce being submerged on top of a sinking police cruiser, graffiti reading "stop shooting us" and an image reminiscent of Trayvon Martin.
The singer also received backlash for her Super Bowl 50 performance, which invoked Black Panthers imagery, but now, Beyonce says people who say she's anti-police are missing the point.
In an interview with Elle, she said, "Anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe."
She pointed out the difference between being against the police and against police brutality.
"But let's be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice," she continued. "Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me. I'm proud of what we created and I'm proud to be a part of a conversation that is pushing things forward in a positive way."
Some police unions, such as the Miami police union, decided to boycott Beyonce after her halftime show performance, but anti-Beyonce protesters were overwhelmed by anti-anti-Beyonce protesters when they showed up at New York's NFL headquarters in February.
