Police group: 'Pigs in a blanket' chant 'deplorable'

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - The executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association issued a statement Monday in response to a chant overheard at Saturday’s #BlackFair protest and march from Hamline Park to the Minnesota State Fair. The protest was organized by the St. Paul chapter of Black Lives Matter.

PHOTOS - #BlackFair march to Minnesota State Fair

Statement by Dennis Flaherty, executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association

“As an organization of over 8,500 police officers throughout the state of Minnesota, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association calls the incendiary chant “Pigs in a blanket, Fry ‘em like bacon” shouted during a protest this past Saturday, deplorable and threatening. 

"I have not only been contacted by many members of the St. Paul Police Department, but officers from throughout the state who are outraged by the statements made on Saturday.
 
"We are confident that the vast majority of Minnesotans would agree that these abhorrent comments were offensive and inappropriate.  In fact, a poll that was conducted earlier this summer shows that an overwhelming majority of Minnesotans trust their police officers including in situations involving deadly force.  

"The feelings held by a radical few clearly stands in stark contrast to opinions commonly held by Minnesotans in all parts of the state. “

#BlackFair protest

Organizer Rashad Turner said the goal of the #BlackFair protest was to affect the profits of the Minnesota State Fair, claiming a discrepancy in State Fair booths awarded to black business owners. The group also used the visibility of the Minnesota State Fair to protest violence and various issues plaguing black Minnesotans.