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Outrage as Susan Sarandon compares NYPD turnout at Jason Rivera's funeral to FASCISM

The 'Thelma & Louise' star's Twitter post is the latest among a slew of anti-cop rants by different individuals that have come to light

Actress Susan Sarandon is facing backlash online after she compared police gathered at the funeral of slain NYPD Detective Jason Rivera to fascists. The 'Thelma & Louise' star's Twitter post is the latest among a slew of anti-cop rants by different individuals that have come to light after the murders of NYPD cops Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora.

Sarandon took to Twitter to post an image of the huge turnout of officers in Manhattan last week. Thousands of police officers gathered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to bid farewell to Rivera on January 28 after he was killed responding to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem. The photo shared by Sarandon seems like a screenshot of a tweet by another individual, which reads, “I’m gonna tell my kids this is what fascism looks like". The actress captioned the image, "So, if all these cops weren’t needed for CRIME that day, doesn’t that mean they aren’t needed ANY day?”

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Sarandon, an Oscar winner, has been a critic of police brutality. She has taken part in Black Lives Matters protests too. She has also been a supporter of progressive political policies, and is known for having backed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in his 2016 presidential run.

'Time to disable 911 from all of your devices'

The Internet lashed out at Sarandon after her tweet went viral. "What's with Susan Sarandon calling NYPD facists for showing up at a murdered cop's funeral? She has way too much time on her hand since her career ended," one user wrote. "Susan can't take this back. I'm not allowing it, and no one else should, either. #cancelSusanSarandon," wrote another.

"Funny how u never have a problem with nypd cops standing guard when u leave MSG so nobody bothers u," one user commented, while another wrote, "Susan Sarandon...is now on my "no watch" list after her tweeted statement likening LEOs at NYPD P.O. Jason Rivera's funeral to fascists." One user wrote, "Hi @SusanSarandon, time to disable 911 from all of your devices if you loath the fascist regime. Have a splendid, police free, evening, you hateful creature".

Anti-cop rants

In a similar incident of anti-police vitriol, a Brooklyn public school teacher was fired from his job for an anti-cop Instagram post about the funeral of NYPD cop Rivera. In a statement, Coney Island Prep confirmed that Christopher Flanigan, who encouraged violence against cops who were mourning Rivera's death, is no longer working for the school. Flanigan's statement also drew outrage from members of New York’s finest.

A New York City actress was also fired by her theater company for criticizing street closures for the murdered NYPD cop's funeral in an online rant that she deleted soon after it went viral. “We do not need to shut down most of Lower Manhattan because one cop died for probably doing his job incorrectly. They kill people who are under 22 every single day for no good reason and we don’t shut down the city for them,” Jacqueline Guzman said in the clip which appeared on TikTok under the handle @vinylboobs.

Rivera lost his life after he was shot by a domestic violence suspect in Harlem, Manhattan. Rivera, 22, and fellow NYPD officer Mora, 27, had attended a domestic call on Friday, January 21. Upon reaching the scene, Rivera was fatally shot in the hallway by a 47-year-old suspect, who was supposedly arguing with his mother. He fell onto his back and succumbed to his injuries. His partner Mora, who was also injured in the attack, later succumbed to his injuries.