Lana Del Rey Is Criticized by Peers for Posting Footage of Los Angeles Protesters

From Harper's BAZAAR

• Kehlani, Tinashe, and others have criticized Lana Del Rey for posting photos and videos from the Los Angeles protests without blurring the faces of those involved.

• Activists on the ground have repeatedly called for those participating or documenting the protests to not include any features that may identify an individual for fear of repercussions by the police and white supremacists.

• The backlash follows criticism Del Rey faced last week when she made controversial comments about Black female musicians.

Lana Del Rey is facing backlash following her participation in Los Angeles protests over the weekend.

The "Born to Die" singer took to the streets to join protesters marching for justice for George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who policed killed last Monday, and countless other Black victims of police brutality. In a now-deleted video posted to her Instagram, Del Rey shared possibly incriminating footage of fellow protesters, an act activists have implored participants not to do, as it may lead to repercussions or doxxing by the police and white supremacists.

Kehlani wrote on Twitter, "Please remove your Instagram post it's dangerous as fuck and a very poor choice of moments to post. By all means protest, but DO NOT endanger people with your massive platform. Oh and turn your fucking comments on man."

Tinashe also called out Del Rey, writing on Twitter, "Why the fuck are you posting people looting stores on your page literally WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM."

Singer Justine Skye also tweeted, "We don't need your weak ass documentation. If you were about the peace, you would've encouraged those white kids causing destruction just for their selfish entertainment to STOP! Making actual PROTESTERS look bad. That's how you help in those situations."

The heated criticism follows another recent controversy involving Del Rey, in which the singer compared herself to various women musicians of color.

"Question for the culture," she wrote in an Instagram post, "Now that Doja Cat, Ariana [Grande], Camila [Cabello], Cardi B, Kehlani, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé have had number ones with songs about being sexy, wearing no clothes, fucking, cheating, etc - can I please go back to singing about being embodied, feeling beautiful by being in love even if the relationship is not perfect, or dancing for money - or whatever I want - without being crucified or saying I'm glamorizing abuse??????"

Many saw her comments—which came a week after Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, and Megan Thee Stallion landed the top two positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making history as the first Black women solo artists to do so—as invalidating the struggles and experiences that Black artists go through.

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