Lego suspends promotional advertising of police building block sets

The decision is in response to the current climate of tension in the US in the wake of George Floyd's murder by four police officer in Minneapolis. Some loyal Lego consumers are perplexed however the company stated the decision was done to respect the current nationwide protests.

Over 30 Lego toys representing police officers, firefighters, emergency vehicles and criminals were directed to be removed from "sites and marketing ASAP" citing "recent events," read an email sent from Rakuten Linkshare, which handle Lego's affiliate advertising. How long the promotional suspension will last remains unknown.

Protests over the police murder of George Floyd on May 25 have been happening across the United States and elsewhere in the world for over a week now. Some protests have remained civil while others devolved into riots and looting.

The Minneapolis officer responsible for Floyd's killing, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with murder. The three other officers who were present on the scene at the time have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

"The misunderstanding is the result of an email that was sent on our behalf to members of our affiliate marketing programme," said a spokesperson for Lego "The intent of the email was to ask that they pause promoting and marketing a selection of LEGO products on their sites."

Earlier this week, Lego suspended all marketing across its own social channels and said that the company regrets any misunderstanding about the decision and "will ensure that we are clearer about our intentions in the future.” Lego went on to add that their mission is to "inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow, and that includes inspiring them to be tolerant, inclusive and kind."

In response to what is happening across America, Lego also announced that it will donate $4 million dollars to organizations that help black children as well as advocacy groups that educate all children about the problems of racial inequality.

"We stand with the black community against racism and racial inequality. There is much to do," said Lego in a recent tweet.