Hundreds of protesters have rallied to support Colin Kaepernick, the controversial NFL player who staged protests during the United States national anthem. The former San Francisco 49er sat or knelt during the national anthem during last season as a protest against police brutality and social injustice.
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The Seattle Seahawks’ Michael Bennett announced he plans to protest the anthem all season.
No team has come out and said they are deliberately excluding Kaepernick because of his politics, but it’s still the leading theory amongst the outspoken.
But he added he believed team owners were making their own decisions, rather than following any edict from the NFL.
Great to see my Brother @realcoleworld I appreciate you not just talking about helping the people, but actually going out and doing the work!
More and more people continue to weigh in on Colin Kaepernick’s lack of employment. Concerns were also raised whether their actions would drive swarms of fans to abandon the National Football League altogether – the answer to which has been a definitive “no”.
Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron recently backed the former 49ers quarterback whose national anthem protest past year remains a hot topic in sports circles and beyond.
“What Colin Kaepernick did is try to bring awareness that this nation, unfortunately, has ignored for far too long”, said NYPD Sgt. Edwin Raymond, who helped organize the Brooklyn event.
Practically alone in his early protests, he was soon joined by other athletes from the sports world.
There were also counter-protesters across the street.
The New York Police Department deployed dozens of officers for the rally.
At the age of 29, Kaepernick is still in search of a job after opting out of his contract with the 49ers in March.
He promised $1 million for minority communities and has already distributed $800,000 among several non profits and causes.
Kaepernick’s continued unemployment, despite a resume that includes a Super Bowl appearance with the 49ers in 2013, has led critics to accuse National Football League teams of blackballing him for political reasons.
One demonstrator told The New York Times: ‘They are alleging that there is racism involved in Kaepernick not signing in the National Football League, but he’s a free agent to sign or not sign.
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Aaron, who faced racial prejudice when he broke Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record in 1974, specifically mentioned the Ravens – his favorite team – and general manager Ozzie Newsome. His protest made him an enemy of the right.
