A luxury watch company is defending police and calling for others to “speak truth” in an ad released Friday in the wake of pushes for local law enforcement agencies to be defunded.
International brand Egard Watches shared the video to YouTube on Friday along with a message from CEO Ilan Srulovicz.
“At a time when we should be humanizing each other... we are vilifying each other,” Srulovicz wrote. “At a time when we should be unified with each other... we are segregating each other. Our great country is at a time of crisis and yet we are frozen with fear to even express ourselves.”
He proceeds to renounce the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died when a white police officer in Minneapolis kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
Floyd’s death has spurred a firestorm of demonstrations protesting police brutality and systematic racism. And in Washington, lawmakers have heard testimony from civil rights and law enforcement leaders as Congress considers changes to police practices and accountability after Floyd’s death and the mass protests that followed.
But Egard’s ad, which speaks directly to police officers, has a much different message.
The video, titled “Speak truth – A message that needs to be heard,” is two minutes and 12 seconds long, and opens to a black background with the words “SPEAK TRUTH” in white typeface as a narrator says, “This world is so imperfect.
"It’s full of pain, and fear. Despite all of the chaos, all the judgement, we know that so many of you are good,” the narrator says. “We forget how human we are, how human we all are, including you. And that among all the sacrifice, mistakes can be made, and bad people do exist. We know that a world without you would not be better, but far, far worse, and for that we thank you.”
NYPD officers in New York City, N.Y. on June 2, 2020. (Scott Heins/Getty Images)
Egard made headlines in Jan. 2019 for a similarly-themed video, titled, "What is a man? A response to Gillette."
The watches have been worn by celebrities and public figures, such as millionaire businessman and "Shark" Robert Herjavec, and actors Anthony Anderson and Jeff Daniels
Friday's video shows clips of people protesting and officers working at protests and crime scenes, or in life-saving moments.
“We know how much of your sacrifice goes unnoticed, and we know that the worst of you get the spotlight instead of the best,” the ad continues. “So many of you have given your lives to protect ours, to keep us safe. We will not stand by and let your work go unnoticed. We will speak truth.”
As the video concludes, the screen goes back again, with the same white font.
“Over 60 million Americans have police interactions per year,” a message on the screen states, in all caps. “Many of which result in lives being saved. #speaktruth.”
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