Blue Lives Matter rally in Las Vegas not authorized to use Metro badge
In this July 28, 2016, file photo, a flag with a blue and black stripes in support of law enforcement officers, flies at a protest by police and their supporters outside Somerville City Hall in Somerville, Mass. Photo by: Associated Press
Monday, June 8, 2020 | 5:43 p.m.
Metro Police says it isn’t affiliated with a Blue Lives Matter march planned for Saturday on the Las Vegas Strip.
The department also said it did not give organizers permission to use its badge on promotional materials. The rally is being organized by conservative media personality Wayne Allyn Root.
“The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department recently learned of a planned rally for Blue Lives Matter that used images of our badge on their fliers,” Metro said in a statement. “While we uphold the First Amendment right for all groups to peaceably assemble, we did not authorize permission to the organizers to use the LVMPD badge, as the department was not part of the planning of this event.”
Promotional material lists Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tempore Michele Fiore plus Las Vegas City Council members Victoria Seaman and Stavros Anthony as co-hosts. The demonstration begins at 9 a.m. at Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard South.
Metro Officer Shay Mikalonis is in the intensive care unit at University Medical Center after being shot in the face last week when a Las Vegas demonstration advocating for justice after the in-custody death of a black man by a white Minnesota police turned violent.
Demonstrations advocating for police reform after George Floyd’s death have occurred daily the past two weeks across the nation, including some advocating for defunding police departments.
“We aren’t for or against anyone. We’re for America! And are simply showing our love and support for our police,” an announcement from the Blue Lives Matter reads.