Susan Sarandon apologizes for tweet comparing NYPD funeral to ‘fascism’

Actress Susan Sarandon apologized for tweeting a photo of thousands of cops gathered in Manhattan for slain NYPD officer Jason Rivera’s funeral and comparing them to fascists earlier this week.

“I deeply regret the meme I recently shared on Twitter that included a photo of Officer Jason Rivera’s funeral,” Sarandon wrote.

“I reacted quickly to the picture without connecting it to a police funeral and I realize now how insensitive and deeply disrespectful it was to make that point at that time. 

“I sincerely apologize to the family of Officers Rivera and Mora for causing additional pain during their time of grieving.”

In the since-deleted tweet, The “Thelma and Louise” star posted a screenshot of a tweet by writer and podcaster Danny Haiphong that included a photo of the thousands of police officers lining the streets of Manhattan for Rivera’s funeral on Jan. 28. 

Susan Sarandon’s Tweet drew immediate backlash.
New York Police officers salute outside St. Patrick's Cathedral after a funeral service for Officer Wilbert Mora.
Funerals were held for Officers Rivera and Mora in Manhattan.
AP / Yuki Iwamura

“I’m gonna tell my kids this is what fascism looks like,” Haiphong wrote in the tweet.

Over the image of the tweet, Sarandon wrote, “So, if all these cops weren’t needed for CRIME that day, doesn’t that mean they aren’t needed ANY day?”

The original screenshot included a #abolishthepolice.

Sarandon, who won the Oscar for Best Actress for the 1995 movie “Dead Man Walking,” has been a critic of police brutality and has taken part in Black Lives Matter protests, including in Brooklyn. She is an outspoken supporter of progressive political policies.



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