NFL’s Bennett to continue anthem protest
SEATTLE Seahawks defensive stalwart Michael Bennett said he will continue to sit during the playing of the US anthem this season in a protest to raise awareness of racism and intolerance.
Bennett chose to remain seated during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner in Sunday’s preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers, emulating Colin Kaepernick’s protest last season which drew a firestorm of criticism.
Bennett’s protest came a day after Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch also remained seated during the anthem playing at a preseason game against Arizona.
The protests came as violence erupted on Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia, following a demonstration by white nationalists, neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members.
Bennett, 31, hit out at critics who claimed that his protest was disre- spectful to members of the US armed forces.
“First of all, I want people to understand that I love thee military. “My father’s in the military,” ary,” said Bennett (pictured, AFP). ). “I love hotdogs like any other American. merican. I love football like anyny other American. But I don’t loveve segregation. I don’t love riotsots or oppression.
“I just want to see peopleople have the equality that they deserve. And I want to be able to use this platform to continuously push the he message of that.”
B e n n e t t h a d n o t informed the Seahawks management of his planned protest. However, he vowed to continue irrespective of the e criticism t hat he would likely face. “There’sThere s a whole bunch of people sit sitt t i ing ng at home judg ing me, but t hey will neve never get to t his point where they ca can be v ulnerable,” Bennett said. “Let people a attack me because they do don’t believe what I believe in. But, at the end of the day, I’m being vulnerab nerable to show every perso person that no matter [wha [what] you believe in, keep fighting for it. “K “Keep fighting for equa equality. Keep fighting for o oppressed people. And keep tr ying to chan change society.” For Former San Francisco 4 9 e r s q u a r t e r b a c k Kaep Kaepernick staged his pro protest last year to draw attention to treatment of minorities by law enforcement.
Since his protest, Kaepernick has been unable to find a team willing to hire him, prompting many players and pundits to believe he is being frozen out as payback for his activism.
Bennett has worked with Kaepernick during the offseason to promote a campaign to raise awareness about rights.
“I hope that I can activate everybody to get off their hands and feet and go out into the communities and push helping each other,” Bennett said after Sunday’s game.
“Sit down with somebody that’s the opposite sex, sit down with somebody that’s the opposite race, different religion and understand that people are different and go out and join the community and try to change the society – change what you’re a part of. If you don’t like it, keep changing it.”