The photo below is indeed Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay holding a sign resolving to challenge racism at work; McLay himself retweeted the photo from his own Twitter account.
@ChiefCSMcLay just committed to challenge racism at work #endwhitesilence We gonna hold you to it Chief! pic.twitter.com/MCn5YtCOwr
— WHAT'S UP?! (@endwhitesilence) January 1, 2015
https://twitter.com/ChiefCSMcLay/status/550533982887354368
Many Twitter bios make it explicit that a retweet doesn’t equal an endorsement, but the photo, taken at Pittsburgh’s First Night parade on New Year’s Eve, certainly looks like an endorsement of an activist group. KDKA-TV reports that the sign was handed to McLay by a member of Fight Back Pittsburgh.
A group called “WHAT’S UP?!” claims the @endwhitesilence Twitter handle and describes itself as “a Pittsburgh based collective working to create a world that is free of destructive white privilege and oppression.”
Pittsburgh’s police union wasn’t happy with the photo, which it interpreted as calling the police department racist. McLay responded to the controversy with a brief statement, saying the picture simply captured a spontaneous moment:
I was hired to restore the legitimacy of the police department. I did not seek these young activists out. I was stopping for coffee at First Night. Their message is not anti-anybody. It is simply a call for awareness. The photo was a great, spontaneous moment in time. Please join dialogue for community healing.
The photo certainly has inspired dialogue. The spontaneous moment holding a protester’s sign has many declaring their love for at least one police officer, and he seems to be enjoying the adulation.
Calling on Pittsburghers to stand up and show support for our new Police Chief @ChiefCSMcLay who has the courage to stand up against racism
— Buses Are Bridges (@BusesAreBridges) January 3, 2015
@endwhitesilence @ChiefCSMcLay More of these "at work" signs, please. Esp. among bosses and supervisors. #favorite
— Bram Reichbaum (@Bram_R) January 1, 2015
@adamkshuck @hoosierworld @endwhitesilence @ChiefCSMcLay they are going to turn their backs on him?
— #DoomedSoulofaGoodSis ? (@truemira) January 1, 2015
https://twitter.com/hoosierworld/status/550699431528792064
https://twitter.com/hoosierworld/status/550701046935584768
@hoosierworld Me too. I would come undone over him or his family being harmed. I love PBO and friends!
— X (@rnnite778) January 1, 2015
An important New Years resolution from @ChiefCSMcLay, Pittsburgh's chief of police. Love this guy. pic.twitter.com/TJC44z0zzc
— John Fournier (@johntfournier) January 1, 2015
Time to add disclaimers to that “dead cops” chant in New York and all of the “F*** the police” graffiti in Oakland and elsewhere.
@adamkshuck @endwhitesilence @ChiefCSMcLay they will turn on him
— kysser sosa (@kysser134) January 1, 2015
https://twitter.com/ChiefCSMcLay/status/550770828196188160
I straight up love these police officers standing for what's right http://t.co/J0zCPzM8wd @NashvillePD @ChiefCSMcLay pic.twitter.com/P0dCXdY6s4
— Very un-melanated guy (@VeryWhiteGuy) January 1, 2015
https://twitter.com/ChiefCSMcLay/status/550805596786925568
@ChiefCSMcLay @endwhitesilence Thank you, Chief! I just showed ur tweet to my partner, who broke down in tears. Honored to have u serve #Pgh
— aniktwit (@aniktwit) January 1, 2015
https://twitter.com/ChiefCSMcLay/status/550731394566348800
@davonmagwood @Anon_LosAngeles @ChiefCSMcLay hope your intentions are truly noble: http://t.co/C0HBxQBxfD WE WILL BE WATCHING
— Pissed_Off_Anonymous (@Pissed_Off_Anon) January 2, 2015
https://twitter.com/ChiefCSMcLay/status/550826209274507264
A police officer proposing to team up with Anonymous? That’s something.
@ChiefCSMcLay @davonmagwood @Anon_LosAngeles then many of us will be honored to working with you in any way we can. thank you for your tweet
— Pissed_Off_Anonymous (@Pissed_Off_Anon) January 2, 2015
@davonmagwood @thereallivefree @Anon_LosAngeles yes brothers and sisters, we must keep our minds and hearts open to cops like @ChiefCSMcLay
— Pissed_Off_Anonymous (@Pissed_Off_Anon) January 2, 2015
@Pissed_Off_Anon @Anon_LosAngeles @davonmagwood @thereallivefree @ChiefCSMcLay he's the perfect example that not all cops are bad ?✌️?
— Anonymous World News (@anonyworldnews) January 2, 2015
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