Kaepernick reveals death threats over protest
SAN Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick said on Tuesday he has received death threats over his national anthem protest a s t he k i l l i ng of a n una r med black man in Oklahoma sparked renewed outrage.
Kaepernick has staged a silent boycot t of T he Star-Spangled Banner during 49ers games this s e a s on, poi nte d l y s it t i ng or kneeling during renditions of the song rather than standing.
The 28-year-old says he is protest i ng r acia l i nequa l it y a nd injustice in America, including the actions of law enforcement towards minorities.
Kaepernick told repor ters on Tuesday he had received threats f rom d i f ferent avenues si nce starting his protest.
“If something like t hat were to happen, you’ve proved my point,” sa id Kaeper n ick when a sked about t he possibi l it y of t he threats being acted upon.
“It’ll be loud and clear why it happened.”
The quarterback sa id he had anticipated t he back lash before he embarked on his protest.
“I knew there were other things that came along with this when I first stood up and spoke about it. It’s not somet hi ng I haven’t t hought about,” he said.
The killing on Friday of 40-yearold Terence Crutcher by police in Tulsa was emblematic of the issues Kaepernick is protesting against.
“This is a per fect exa mple of what t his is about,” Kaepernick said.
Kaepernick meanwhile said he wil l donate $1 mil l ion to loca l communities over t he nex t 10 months, while launching a website to detail how t he money is spent.