‘I’m going to start shoplifting ice-cream’: Ben & Jerry’s whips up Twitter storm after saying police forces ‘must be dismantled’
Ice-cream company Ben & Jerry’s, known for their frequent forays into politics, has sparked yet another controversy after calling for police forces to be “dismantled” following the death of Daunte Wright.
“The murder of #DaunteWright is rooted in white supremacy and results from the intentional criminalization of Black and Brown communities,” Ben & Jerry’s posted to their official Twitter account on Tuesday.
The murder of #DaunteWright is rooted in white supremacy and results from the intentional criminalization of Black and Brown communities. This system can’t be reformed. It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up.#DefundThePolice
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) April 12, 2021
“This system can't be reformed. It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up,” the company added, concluding the tweet with the hashtag, “#DefundThePolice.”
The post received over 25,000 likes, but whipped up plenty of controversy, with commenters weighing in to support and slate the message.
Your brains are made of soft ice cream. You are a disgrace for "racializing" everything. Stick to making ice cream and leave the faux-hysterics to @donlemon. https://t.co/OHk9qEZ70L
— Gad Saad (@GadSaad) April 14, 2021
None of that is true. But more important—and I cannot stress this enough—you are ice cream. https://t.co/pjcK7MZTFL
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) April 14, 2021
why is my ice cream yelling at me https://t.co/jRjdgT3PnM
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) April 14, 2021
“I agree with the sentiment BUT not with #Defundingthepolice that is dumb. We need police reforms. We need uniform rules of use of force, and engaging citizens on routine traffic stops,” tweeted CNN commentator Sophia A. Nelson.
Conservative radio host Dana Loesch questioned whether Ben & Jerry's would “set the example first by not calling the police to provide security for their offices anymore” – a reference to the company phoning the police in January after receiving a “threatening voicemail.”
Several Twitter users joked that they would start shoplifting their Ben & Jerry's ice-cream if the police were dismantled, while others called for a boycott.
I'm going to start shoplifting my Ben & Jerry's.
— Huckelbuck ⏺ (@Huckelbuck1) April 14, 2021
Ben & Jerry's is now free.Help yourself. https://t.co/hqQmDFiAZE
— Old Holborn® (@Holbornlolz) April 14, 2021
Former Major League Baseball player Aubrey Huff took things to the extreme, accusing Ben & Jerry's of murdering “countless thousands a year” with “diabetes” and “heart disease.”
Others simply praised the company – which is owned by the billionaire multinational consumer goods company Unilever – for its “leadership” and “socially responsible approach.”
Twenty-year-old black man Daunte Wright was killed during a police traffic stop on Sunday in Minnesota after a female officer shot him, having allegedly mistaken her handgun for her taser. It was announced on Wednesday that she would face a charge of second-degree manslaughter. Wright’s death has provoked riots and looting in the state.
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