F1 Driver Lewis Hamilton Wears Breonna Taylor Tribute Shirt, and Fans are Split

By John Newby - September 15, 2020 11:58 pm EDT

When Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton headed to the inaugural Tuscan Grand Prix on Sunday, he did so wearing a Breonna Taylor tribute T-shirt. The front said, "Arrest the Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor," while the back featured a photo of Taylor. He donned the shirt once again after winning the event. "It took me a long time to get that shirt, and I've been wanting to wear that and bring awareness to the fact that there's people that have been killed on the street and there's someone that got killed in her own house, and they're in the wrong house, and those guys are still walking free," Hamilton said following the race.

When fans and casual Twitter users alike saw photos of the shirt, they reacted in a variety of ways. Critics of Hamilton asked if he would wear a shirt with the names of the two police officers shot in Compton recently while others said that Hamilton is making the sport "too political." Supporters, on the other hand, praised Hamilton for wearing the shirt. They expressed the opinion that the six-time champion is leading the charge for equality.

Nothing wrong with raising awareness, but why highlight one tragedy and not another? Why does police violence get this attention but not what's happening to Uyghur Muslims in China? To me BLM is a PC way to show your virtue. More respect of they had the balls to challenge China.
— tixudao (@ti_xu_dao) September 14, 2020

Lewis Hamilton using his podium and interviews to demand justice for breonna Taylor is/was very brave.
— smokin (@SmokinKones) September 13, 2020

Arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor!!!! Lewis Hamilton saying it loudly for us all. We aint forget and we aint forgive!!!! The poor girl was in her house when intruders (yes they wr unannounced) barged in and killed her.

Arrest Breonna's killers pic.twitter.com/bdF4SMrTHE
— sarah's always in Larry's heart (@sarah_loves_l91) September 13, 2020

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.@LewisHamilton and his “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” t-shirt on the podium as the winner of the @F1 #TuscanGP. 👏🏽♥️🔥🏁
— Tiffani Ashley Bell (@tiffani) September 13, 2020

Lewis Hamilton claimed the 90th victory of his Formula 1 career at the Tuscan Grand Prix today. While standing in the Winner’s Circle he rocked braids and a t-shirt that said: “ARREST THE COPS WHO KILLED BREONNA TAYLOR.” Big props to him for that! #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/c3W2gNdsT8
— Kenny BooYah! (@KwikWarren) September 13, 2020

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Her name is Breonna Taylor and she was killed because her boyfriend wanted to be a gangster. Shame on @F1 for not stopping this political nonsense.
— The Trader (@the_trader_uk) September 13, 2020

This isn’t politics. Wanting the murderers of Breonna Taylor to face justice is something that should be unanimous.
— Jason Singh (@giftofgab209) September 15, 2020

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Come on Lewis! We love F1 but don't turn it into politics, ruining it mate
— John Psota-Jenkins (@waterhouseLS) September 13, 2020

What about the BLACK MAN that has shot 2x White Police officers today, and when they arrived at the hospital BLACK people protested on them getting into hospital. BLM is a disgrace and a joke
— Dean Moore (@DeanMoore2) September 13, 2020

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That’s what happens when your boyfriend opens fire on police officers coming to apprehend I known criminal.
She got caught in the crossfire because he opened fire on them, what were they supposed to do let themselves be shot?🤷🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♂️
— HustleGang 🎭 (@GazLondonBoy) September 13, 2020

I’m here to be entertained not be preached to by a millionaire on his or her political view about something that didn’t even happen on their side of the pond. Hope you crash out Lewis now that would be entertainment!
— Rexx the doggo (@76_spade) September 13, 2020

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2nd article on this from sky sports 🙄. Imagine asking for justice for a police officer RETURNING fire into a hall way of a property which is known for drugs/gangs. Sad the victim died but nothing to investigate. The system of owning your own gun is the issue here. Not colour
— darryl_lal (@DarrylLal) September 14, 2020

Is he going to raise awareness of the two deputy sheriff's shot in their car by a black man?
— bigman66 (@aladdinsane1966) September 14, 2020

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pic.twitter.com/yAUb9O4aTK
— JKWhitty (@WhittyJk) September 14, 2020

fia considering to investigate lewis hamilton for wearing breonna taylor's shirt singlehandedly undoes the main point of their we race as one campaign
— 🍓 (@cousinmilla) September 14, 2020

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