Nike is facing harsh criticism for offering a 30% discount to police officers

Hayley Peterson

May 14, 2015, 21:57 IST

REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

A display is seen in the Nike store in Santa Monica, California, September 25, 2013.

Nike is under fire for offering police officers a 30% discount for a "law enforcement appreciation day."

Critics are blasting the brand for supporting law enforcement in the wake of a string of shootings involving police officers who killed black men, Quartz reports.

The May 13 promotion coincides with National Police Week, and was likely planned months ago, Quartz points out.

But it comes just one month after two nationally publicized shootings - one in South Carolina and one in Oklahoma - in which two black citizens, Walter Scott and Eric Harris, were killed by law enforcement officers.

Critics have called the promotion tone-deaf and now some are calling for a boycott of the sportswear company.

We reached out to Nike for comment.

Good time to boycott Nike, Converse for their #cop appreciation. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/HgzakhXprn
- Jose Orozco (@orozcomjo) May 13, 2015

@Nike what about a #blacklivesmatter sale? You can't be so one-sided.
- Darian Wigfall (@darian_wig) May 14, 2015

Nike's main consumers are Black men and women and this is what we get? #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay #BlackLivesMatter #DontDoIt
- M. (@MalditaBlvck) May 14, 2015

My swoosh days are numbered @Nike. I can't be out protesting police brutality and you're out here throwing them discounts. #BlackLivesMatter
- Negus (@DeanDFK) May 14, 2015

Friend & I talking @nike issue. What's really scary is #BLACKLIVESMATTER / #policebrutality DOESN'T EVEN EXIST FOR THEM. $$ TUNNEL VISION.
- Long Gone Blond (@longgoneblond) May 13, 2015

Imagine the @Nike board meeting that committed to undermine #BlackLivesMatter with #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay. What was said?
- Ferrari Sheppard (@stopbeingfamous) May 13, 2015

#BlackLivesMatter we deserve justice. Boycott @nike @Converse spend no $$$$ there
- Shad OnOne (@shadzdope) May 13, 2015

Gotta do some research & see which companies are owned by @Nike so I can cut them off too #BlackLivesMatter #BoycottNike
- Doflamingo (@Akintology) May 13, 2015

@Nike @Converse who does your PR? This is the worse idea ever #blacklivesmatter #ENDPOLICEBRUTALITY https://t.co/1lvbu4bGMz
- Ari Love (@ariluvpeacelite) May 13, 2015