The Super Bowl took place on Sunday, but the fallout from Beyoncé‘s allegedly racist halftime-show performance certainly hasn’t dissipated.
The international superstar was criticized for her Super Bowl performance, with some accusing the singer of paying tribute to the Black Panther Party.
When Beyoncé took the field, she was flanked by dancers sporting afros and dressed in black leather and black berets, which some say are similar to the black berets worn by members of the ’60s black nationalist organization, to perform a part of her new single Formation.
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Less than thrilled, an anonymous New York City group is planning an “Anti-Beyoncé Protest Rally” on Feb. 16 in front of NFL headquarters in Manhattan.
The rally announcement was posted on Eventbrite.
“Are you offended as an American that Beyoncé pulled her race-baiting stunt at the Super Bowl? Do you agree that it was a slap in the face to law enforcement? Do you agree that the Black Panthers was/is a hate group which should not be glorified? Come and let’s stand together. Let’s tell the NFL we don’t want hate speech & racism at the Super Bowl ever again!” the notice reads.
At the bottom of the notice, the organizers are asking protesters to “be peaceful and respect the boundaries of private property.”
Almost immediately after the anti-Beyoncé rally was announced, her supporters stepped in, posting another notice on Eventbrite and asking her fans to “get in Formation”:
“When Black women affirm Blackness/Black womanhood, they are attacked and silenced. This is a counter protest to a racist, ahistorical attack on the Black Panther Party and Beyoncé, plus an excuse to celebrate a very awesome song and #BlackGirlMagic moment.
Beyoncé released Formation — a new black power anthem that makes reference to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the mass protests across the U.S. against the police killings of unarmed black men — the day before the Super Bowl.
During the halftime show, as Beyoncé twerked her way through Formation, her backup dancers were seen raising their fists in the air, a gesture symbolic of the Panthers’ movement. The group also danced their way into a “X” formation, which some say was a political statement about Malcolm X.
However, many thought Beyoncé was dressed to pay tribute to the late Michael Jackson.
Following the performance, some of Beyoncé’s dancers were photographed holding a sign that read “Justice 4 Mario Woods” with their clenched fists raised in the air.
READ MORE: Beyoncé criticized for apparent homage to Black Panthers during Super Bowl halftime show
However, Instagram video of the dancers appears to show that the girls were asked by someone on the field at Levi’s Stadium if they could hold the sign.
Woods, 26, was fatally shot by a San Francisco police officer in December. Police said the man was armed with a knife and was shot after approaching an officer and refusing to drop the knife.
Not everyone has been critical of Beyoncé’s performance. “It really was an amazing show,” said Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams. “But not everyone was ready for that jelly.”
With files from Adam Frisk and The Associated Press