Instagram removed — and then later restored —a post from the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association’s Instagram page urging followers to boycott The Super Bowl in protest of half-time performer Snoop Dog’s song lyrics that promote anti-police violence.
According to Instagram, the Feb. 11 post, which decried anti-police violence, was “removed for violence and incitement.”
“Encouraging people to shoot police officers apparently earns you a spot as a headliner at the Superbowl,” the PBA wrote in the post, which was not removed from Facebook.
“If you choose to watch the game at all, (We won’t be) halftime is a great moment to shut your TV off in honor of those men and women in blue who gave their lives for us.”
Instagram confirmed to The Post that the PBA’s Instagram post was restored Monday evening.
The post included lyrics to Snoop Dogg and J5Slap’s song “Police,” screenshotted from a New York Post column by sportswriter Phil Mushnick questioning the NFL and sponsors’ money-grabbing decision to allow the rapper to headline. The song, which features incendiary, anti-police lyrics was released on Jan. 22, just weeks before the big game.
The first verse, rapped by collaborator J5 Slap, reads:
“All you n—as out there, Take your guns that you using to shoot each other
And start shooting these b—h-ass mother-f–king police.
That’ll impress a mother-f–king n—a like me. The crooked mother-f-ckers
‘Cause these police getting way too mother-fcking outta line”
The song also features artists A1 Yolaman and Jiggie June. Snoop’s lyrics in the song are provocative towards the police. However, the union said it still holds Snoop Dogg accountable because the song is his.
According to Instagram, the PBA’s post was removed because it violated its community guidelines that “don’t allow content that may lead to a genuine risk to physical harm or direct threat to public safety.”
In a statement to The Post, The Suffolk PBA blasted the social media platform for censoring its post condemning Snoop Dogg’s “vile” song lyrics that “should be denounced by every American.”
“For Instagram to censor a post that condemns Snoop Dogg for encouraging the killing of police officers is evidence that Instagram is complicit and condones such violence,” said Lou Civello, Vice President of the Suffolk County PBA.
“This is a slap in the face to everyone who has ever worn the uniform and put their lives on the line for the safety of others, and is an example that Instagram enables, if not encourages, harm against police officers. They should be ashamed,” he said.
Snoop Dogg opened the Pepsi HalfTime show, the first in Super Bowl history to ever feature exclusively hip-hop artists, with his iconic hit “The Next Episode” with Dr. Dre. He and Dre later closed out the performance with Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”
The halftime show also featured singer Mary J. Blige, rappers Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and surprise guest 50 Cent.
Video circulating on social media showed Snoop Dogg smoking what certainly appeared to be marijuana – one of the rapper’s renowned affections – right before taking the stage.
Eminem’s performance also drew controversy after the rapper took a long knee “Colin Kaepernick style” on stage during his performance following reports that he had been at odds with the NFL for the gesture.
League officials denied having any issue with the rapper taking a knee. NFL reps told The Post players have been taking a knee since 2016 without sanctions, so musical talent wouldn’t be held to a different standard. Officials said they also knew Eminem would take a new, as he had during rehearsals.