Holly MatkinNew York, NY – Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon likened the officers who gathered for the recent funeral of a murdered New York police officer to fascists and questioned whether police are even needed in New York City.
Sarandon shared the anti-police tweet on Feb. 1 as thousands of citizens and law enforcement officers were attending the wake of murdered New York Police Department (NYPD) Officer Wilbert Mora at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the New York Daily News reported.
The retweeted message featured an overhead photo showing police lining Fifth Avenue outside the same cathedral last week for the funeral of Officer Mora’s partner, 22-year-old Officer Jason Rivera.
“I’m gonna tell my kids this is what fascism looks like,” the original tweet read.
Sarandon’s tweet included a large headline reading, “So, if all these cops weren’t needed for CRIME that day, doesn’t that mean they aren’t needed ANY day?”
The actress, who was arrested outside One Police Plaza in March of 1999 during a protest decrying a fatal officer-involved shooting, also lashed out at now-former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio back in 2020 after he praised the city’s officers for exercising “tremendous restraint” during the George Floyd protests, the New York Daily News reported.
“Shame on you,” Sarandon tweeted at him at the time.
De Blasio ultimately changed his tune and apologized for the NYPD’s actions after the New York Department of Investigation criticized police for allegedly using excessive force during several of the demonstrations, the New York Daily News reported.
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) February 1, 2022
Sarandon wasn’t the only person posting anti-police messages in the wake of Officer Rivera and Officer Mora’s murders.
Black Lives Matter activist Terrell Harper posted a video to his Instagram story showing a photo of the crowd at Officer Rivera’s funeral and declared it would “have been a wet dream to f—k that funeral up,” the New York Post reported.
“I can’t wait. I’m looking for the next cop funeral. I’m gonna f–k it up, bro. I’m gonna f–k that s–t up,” Harper said in the video. “That’ll make news ASAP.”
#BLM activist Terrell Harper posted a video threatening to “f— up” police funerals in New York.
Last year, Harper was filmed making anti-Asian racist statements to Det. Vincent Cheung at a protest for black trans lives near Stonewall. pic.twitter.com/TG5blOLM7i
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) February 1, 2022
“You n—s better not die no time soon because I’m gonna f–k your funeral up,” he ranted. “Son, that’s going to be my new threat to them. I can’t wait for one of you all to die so I can f–k your funeral up, n—a.”
An NYPD spokesperson said the department is investigating the treats, the New York Post reported.
Harper was previously arrested for making terroristic threats and menacing, as well as unlawful assembly.
NYPD Detective Vincent Cheung filed a lawsuit against him in 2021 after Harper was recorded calling the Asian detective a “goddamn cat eater” and asking him if he was “going to Judo chop” him, the New York Post reported.
