On February 7th, Coldplay took to the stage at Super Bowl 50 with special guests Beyonce and Bruno Mars. The show was highly anticipated by many, but ended up leaving many sorely disappointed, and even offended. Coldplay began with a medley of many of their popular hits, such as “Viva la Vida,” “Paradise,” and “Adventure of a Lifetime.” The bright colors that illuminated the stage then began to dim, and Beyonce emerged out of left field.  She was accompanied by dancers, dressed in uniforms that many believe were modeled after the notorious ones worn by the Black Panthers, and then began to perform her new, controversial song “Formation.”

This sparked outrage amongst many critics who saw this as a direct strike at law enforcement. The outrage induced by this performance has resulted in the popular hashtag #BoycottBeyonce. Those who support this notion were even asked to gather outside of the National Football League headquarters in New York City on February 16. Supporters of Beyonce have claimed that this hashtag is racist, and that Beyonce’s performance was aligned with the Black Lives Matter campaign, which preaches peace and equality between minorities and law enforcement. The counterprotest posted the following in rebuttal to the hashtag: “This is a counter protest to … a racist, a historical attack on the Black Panther Party and Beyonce, plus an excuse to celebrate a very awesome song and #BlackGirlMagic moment.”