Music / NewsLocal police protested Beyoncé’s hometown showMembers of the Coalition for Police and Sheriffs (COPS) delivered a silent protest while wearing ‘Police Lives Matter’ t-shirts before her performance in Houston on SaturdayShareLink copied ✔️May 9, 2016MusicNewsTextSelim Bulut Beyoncé performed a hometown concert in Houston, Texas on Saturday (May 7th) as part of her Formation World Tour. Though she drew thousands of adoring fans to the show, she was also greeted with a silent protest by the police, as BBC Newsbeat reports. Members of the Pasadena Police Department and the Coalition for Police and Sheriffs (COPS) delivered their protest a mile from the city’s NRG Stadium where Beyoncé was performing. The group shone a blue light at the stadium and wore t-shirts emblazoned with the words “Police Lives Matter”. Speaking to local news station KHOU11, COPS member Tony Ragsdale explained that the group took offense to shots of a New Orleans police car sinking in floodwater in Beyoncé’s video for “Formation”. “Some of her performances we believe to be anti-police,” he said. Those performances include her appearance at the Super Bowl earlier this year, where she played the single while wearing a Black Panther-inspired costume. Following the show, police unions attempted to organise an anti-Beyoncé rally in New York – not that anyone showed up. Police group holding protest event near Beyoncé concert. Will shine a bright blue light toward NRG Stadium. pic.twitter.com/EIdErqVvmo— Tim Wetzel (@KHOUTim) May 8, 2016 In April, Beyonce explained to Elle that she is protesting police injustice rather than attacking police officers themselves. “I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of the officers who sacrifice themselves to keeps us safe,” she said. “But let’s be clear, I am against police brutality and injustice. 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.” Watch a local news report on the protest below. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREKneecap, Erika de Casier, Smerz and more call to boycott Eurovision Ethel Cain’s Coachella stage was a ‘graveyard of American industry’ Nike What went down at Nike Toma in AtlantaTOMORA are the dance-pop superduo out to ‘connect unexpected people’If Geese are a psy-op, so is everything elseA deep dive into the fan-led SOPHIE archive projectThe secret history of Black British musicSilvana Estrada: ‘Bad Bunny is my hero, but Latin America is a continent’ The ultimate guide to music festivals in 2026Stop calling Justin Bieber’s Coachella set ‘lazy’Xaviersobased’s online obsessions: NBA 2K, skate videos and NickelodeonQueer nightlife is thriving in Bucharest’s abandoned backroomsEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy