The movement that spurns capitalism seems to embrace it if it serves its own purposes.
Amazon, Etsy, and Google all have sellers who are taking advantage of the current political situation on their platforms. Some of this merchandise includes caps with images of burning police cars on the front, a T-shirt with a character from popular video game Animal Crossing walking away from a burning police car, a “Fuck Police” T-shirt with a skull shoving a gun into a pig dressed as a police officer, and a sweatshirt with the label “Eat Cops, Not Pigs.”
“Blue Lives Murder” is also a shirt sold on all three platforms. This sometimes includes an image of a police officer beating outstretched hands. Other forms of apparel include shirts that say, “The First Pride Was a Riot.” Perhaps one of the stranger items is a “burning pig car pentagram alter piece.” A police car is on a candle covered in what appear to be flames.
Another shirt with the label “I am the Intolerant Left,” circled around a burning Molotov cocktail, is being sold for just $19.99 on Etsy. A baby onesie version of this is sold on Google Shopping for just a penny more. For those concerned about catching COVID-19, a facemask with a person throwing a Molotov cocktail is sold on Etsy. A vinyl decal sticker of a Molotov cocktail with “ACAB” is another example.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) notes that ACAB, which stands for “All Cops Are Bastards,” is a slogan that originated with “skinheads,” or white supremacists.
On Amazon, the seller who markets the ACAB hat with the image of a burning police car on it seems to be a clothing vendor. It also sells NFL shirts, Golden State Warriors masks, and shirts with Disney’s Baby Yoda. It is unclear whether the seller is licensed to use these images or not.
Another product found on Amazon Music is the song, “Kill A Pig.” The cover for the album is the artist holding up the bloody severed head of Derek Chauvin, the police officer charged in the death of George Floyd.
Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos recently released a statement that he was “happy to lose” customers over his support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
