What began as a harmless PR stunt on Tuesday left the New York Police Department’s social media team facepalming as a hashtag they tweeted (#myNYPD) trended nationally, flooding the Internet with images, videos, and stories depicting police brutality.
But the trend of calling out police for violent behavior wasn’t limited to New York City for very long. Hours after major newspapers began to report the failed pro-cop campaign, Los Angeles residents carried out their own online demonstration by trending the #myLADP with their own media and stories:
When the bullies who used to pick on people back when you were in school grow up, they put on a badge #myLAPD pic.twitter.com/VNxZDGLNAn
— Rudy Bucher (@Ruderealism) April 23, 2014
#MyLAPD LAPD chase a man down shoot him in the back and then EXECUTE him pic.twitter.com/V6GqhVLEfv
— Ron Solo (@R0NS0L02) April 23, 2014
#MyLAPD well, it’s @HawthornePD in L.A. county so it counts. Watch your dogs! Your police force working for you. pic.twitter.com/5i05gl5kxT
— Gaga Cheat (@MissStef0318) April 23, 2014
Oh Look Shiny New Twitter Hashtag! -> #MyLAPD pic.twitter.com/frICOJARqu
— CAL FIRE NEWS (@CalFireNews) April 22, 2014
#myLAPD picked up Kim Nguyen in K-town, assaulted her and threw her out of the car door when they were done pic.twitter.com/pTGHcrLIzB
— peace is illegal (@idealovindara) April 23, 2014
#myLAPD at MacArthur Park on #MayDay 2007. pic.twitter.com/LKbflD10sI
— LA CAN (@LACANetwork) April 22, 2014
Others shared personal stories or recited the names of individuals killed in police-involved shootings:
LAPD shot dead small 54-year-old homeless person Margaret Mitchell on 4th and La Brea. She was “armed” with a screwdriver. #lapd #mylapd
— Miracle Mile LA (@MiracleMileLA) April 23, 2014
#myLAPD no picture, but the time that they locked down manual arts high school aimed assault rifles at me and searched me without consent!
— Ben Sosa (@Jahlife68) April 23, 2014
#myLAPD trains and protects armed units to use brutality and force to punish the poor. No accountability. No justice. #myLAPD
— antifascista (@artofexisting) April 23, 2014
And others simply summed things up:
Phew…so basically there are a lot of Americans getting their ass kicked by cops. A lot. #myNYPD #myLAPD #myCPD #myOPD
— Phillip M. Bailey (@phillipmbailey) April 23, 2014
Photo via Chris Yarzab/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
