NFL anthem protest spreads

MORE NFL players have shown solidarity against Donald Trump by locking arms, kneeling or sitting down during the national anthem.

The latest teams to join the protest are the Oakland Raiders and the Washington Redskins.

At this stage, more than 200 players have chosen to protest — that means about one in eight did not stand for the anthem over the weekend.

Last week, only six NFL players protested, continuing the movement started last year by former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick who refused to stand for the anthem to protest against racial injustice and police brutality.

But President Donald Trump’s comments and tweets saying protesting players should be fired sparked a massive show of defiance.

Three teams stayed off the field for the anthems entirely. Other teams locked arms, with some players standing, some kneeling and some sitting.

Singer Meghan Linsey, runner-up on The Voice, joined the fray, when she too took a knee after singing the national anthem before the Seattle Seahawks game at the Tennessee Titans. So did the guitarist accompanying her.

Mr Trump said his criticism of NFL players who kneel during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice in the United States had “nothing to do with race” but was about respect for the America flag and anthem.

The first mass demonstration took place at the NFL’s London game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens at Wembley Stadium, where a large number of players from both teams knelt. In Nashville, neither the Seattle Seahawks nor the Tennessee Titans took to the field for the anthem.

“We will not stand for the injustice that has plagued people of this colour in this country,” Seattle players said in a statement just prior to kick-off.

The mass protests come after Mr Trump urged fans to boycott NFL games to pressure the league to fire or suspend players who show disrespect for “flag and country”.