Lego has suspended promotional campaigns of building-block sets that feature the White House, police officers, firefighters and emergency equipment.
An e-mail directive from Rakuten Linkshare, which handles Lego’s affiliate marketing, indicated that over 30 Lego toys representing police officers, firefighters, criminals, emergency vehicles and buildings were to be removed from “sites and any marketing ASAP,” according to an email obtained by The Toy Book.
The directive to remove fire trucks and first responders caused all sorts of confusion among toy stores.
“We all firmly believe #BlackLivesMattter,” one toy store wrote. “For decades #LEGO police & fire rescue have been the very best example how to protect and rescue fellow minifigs and kids playing. What kind of message are you making here?”
LEGO says that it “will donate $4 million to organizations dedicated to supporting black children and educating all children about racial equality.”
Ironically their popular store in New York City was vandalized and damaged by the so-called “peaceful protestors.”
“We requested that our affiliate partners refrain from posting promotional LEGO content as part of our decision to respect #BlackOutTuesday and pause posting content on our social media channels in response to the tragic events in the US,” the email read. “We regret any misunderstanding and will ensure that we are clearer about our intentions in the future.”
This is nuts.@LEGO_Group is removing playsets featuring police, firefighters & emergency vehicles.
Even ditching an adult White House kit.
We ought to stress the good in law enforcement for kids.
What does @JoeBiden think about LEGO erasing cops?https://t.co/NMzHHe6qyI
— Brad Parscale (@parscale) June 4, 2020