Kaepernick, who led San Francisco to the 2013 Super Bowl but has since been demoted to backup, has said he would not show pride in the flag of a country that oppresses people of colour, citing police brutality.
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Lane sat alone on a bench on the east side of the Coliseum during an instrumental performance of the anthem. He said he doesn’t have an existing relationship with Kaepernick and hadn’t informed him of his intentions to sit, either.
“It shows that he hears the people that were hurt by him sitting, but he still believes in the cause that he wants to bring awareness to”.
Lane, who signed a four-year, $23 million contract in the offseason, said he didn’t inform any of his teammates or coaches that he would take the stance.
Kaepernick has said his protest will continue indefinitely.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane sits as the national anthem plays before his preseason game against Oakland. “I’m really proud of the progress we’re making in the conversation”.
Kaepernick addressed his meeting with Boyer during his post-game press conference. The two decided together to kneel on the sideline during the national anthem.
“I’m already hearing it this week that next week on ‘Monday Night Football, ‘ some officers are not going to work”, Frank Saunders, president of the Santa Clara Police Officers Association, said via NBC.
The protest has spurred civil discussion, however.
Kaepernick chose to kneel Thursday night during the national anthem, the second time this preseason he did not stand for the pregame tradition. Along with his protest, he donated $1 million donations to groups that are affected by the issues that he is trying to stand up for such as racial inequality and police brutality.
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“He approached me and said, ‘I support what you’re doing”, Kaepernick said. “It’s not right that they’re not put in a position to succeed or given those opportunities to succeed”. “I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way”. It’ll be interesting to see if this carries on into the 2016 regular season, but it seems as though Kaepernick, Reid and Lane will likely continue.
