Quentin Tarantino has added his voice to the calls to end police brutality across the nation.
The Oscar-winning writer and director joined hundreds of protesters Saturday in New York City at a rally against “murderers” with badges.
“When I see murders, I do not stand by… I have to call a murder a murder and I have to call the murderers the murderers,” the “Django Unchained” director told a crowd of about 300, according to the New York Post.
The rally was held in Washington Square Park four days after NYPD Officer Randolph Holder was fatally shot in the head while chasing a gunman in East Harlem. When asked about the timing of the rally, Tarantino called it “unfortunate.”
“It’s like this: It’s unfortunate timing, but we’ve flown in all these families to go and tell their stories,” he said. “That cop that was killed, that’s a tragedy, too.”
Author, activist and scholar Cornel West helped organize the rally, which was called #RiseUpOctober. A Facebook page for the event said 1,900 people had RSVP’d to attend. Among those attending was actress Gina Belafonte, who joined Tarantino at the podium as he addressed the crowd.
Police arrested 11 protesters for disorderly conduct, obstructing vehicular traffic and failing to disperse.