Sideline ‘solidarity’ to continue
The controversial NFL national anthem protests are set to continue tomorrow when the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins face off in London.
Aiming to respect all sides, Saints quarterback Drew Brees said his team would kneel together and then stand for the anthem ahead of Sunday’s game.
“As a way to show respect to all, our #Saints team will kneel in solidarity prior to the national anthem & stand together during the anthem,” Brees wrote in a tweet posted yesterday.
The player protests of police violence against people of color have divided the public over whether the pregame patriotic ceremony is the right moment to make a statement. But a new poll shows the public isn’t backing President Trump’s favored remedy for the protesting players.
Sixty-one percent of people asked by CNBC said they opposed the idea Trump proposed last week that would have NFL owners fire or suspend players who kneel during the national anthem. Twenty-seven percent of those polled supported Trump’s idea of firing or suspending those who protest during the anthem.
Prior to this week’s game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, the players, coaches and staffers of both teams locked arms on the sidelines in a show of unity while “The Star-Spangled Banner” played. Both teams encouraged fans to follow suit.
The protest led by professional players spread this week to a high school football game in Illinois Thursday between Evanston and New Trier, according to the Chicago Tribune, which reported 18 Evanston players took a knee and one sat, while only one of the New Trier players knelt.
In Michigan, an internal investigation will determine whether the head of the Michigan State Police broke the agency’s social media policy and should be disciplined for sharing a Facebook post that called protesting NFL players “anti-American degenerates.” Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue has apologized, and Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has said he will not fire her despite calls for her ouster from Democratic lawmakers, a gubernatorial candidate, civil rights groups and other organizations.