Quentin Tarantino defended his comments about police brutality during an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes on Wednesday.
The "Pulp Fiction" director made headlines last month for an appearance at a demonstration against police brutality.
"I was under the impression I was an American and that I had First Amendment rights, and there was no problem with me going to an anti-police-brutality protest and speaking my mind," Tarantino said. "Just because I was at an anti-police-brutality protest doesn't mean I'm anti-police."
During New York's RiseUpOctober rally, Tarantino urged the protesters to continue fighting against injustice.
"I'm a human being with a conscience," he said. "If you believe there's murder going on then you need to rise up and stand up against it. I'm here to say I'm on the side of the murdered."
Tarantino's remarks drew swift backlash from several police unions, which have called on audiences to boycott his films.
He hit back at those critics, telling Hayes that police "would rather start arguments with celebrities than examine the concerns put before them by a citizenry that has lost trust in them."
Watch the full interview in the video above.
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