IN PHOTOS ~~ THOUSANDS STAND (KNEEL) IN SUPPORT OF NFL PLAYER’S RIGHT TO DISSENT

August 27, 2017 at 10:19 (Associate Post, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, DesertPeace Exclusive, Photography, Racism)

White players kneeling during anthem a nightmare for NFL

(click on link to view video)

Political sports writer Dave Zirin speaks at the New York City rally in support of Colin Kaepernick’s protests during the National Anthem.

www.espn.com/video/clip?id=20437731

On Wednesday August 23rd, people gathered at the offices of the National Football League [NFL| in Manhattan NYC.  By some accounts 3-4 thousand people attended. The rally was in support of quarterback, Colin Kaepernick who refused to stand for the Star Spangled Banner prior to the beginning of the football game but instead choose to kneel rather than pay homage to the flag that represents the racism which is so prevalent against the Black population in the United States, especially in the murder of Black people by police, a crime that goes unpunished. As a result of his doing  this Kaepernick has not been picked as a team player on any of the NFL football teams for the coming season.  At this point many other players are also ‘taking the knee’, including young people on college and high school teams.

The rally included a broad array of many civic and community activist organizations, the   speakers demanding that Kaepernick be given the opportunity to play.  If not a boycott of the games and the sponsors of the NFL was demanded. The speakers did not limit the issue to Kaepernick but discussed the broader struggle against white supremacy which projected itself so violently in Charlottesville with fascists parading with torches and proclaiming, “You [Blacks] will not replace us” and “Jews will not replace us”. One  of the many speakers was Dave Zirin [sports commentator for the Nation Magazine] who spoke of the Palestinian struggle to great applause as he pointed to the fascist/Zionist Jewish Defense League  across the street demonstrating against this rally. Another speaker was Linda Sarsaur, who is one of the organizers of the Women’s March the day after Trump’s inauguration, a Palestinian activist in America who is subjected to the Islamaphobia so prevalent in the United States. She noted in her speech “if you are not ready to put your life on the line for freedom then take the word out of your mouth”. 

The rally ended with everyone holding the hands of the people next to them as a minister said a prayer asking for justice.  Several important issues were addressed at this event – Colin Kaepernick’s punishment for exercising his 1st amendment right to freedom of speech, the racism increasingly prevalent, and the power of money, in this case in the hands of the team owners, to do whatever they want in disregard of the people.  Certainly a fact of life in all areas in the USA today.

Photos © by Bud Korotzer, Report by Chippy Dee

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Also see THIS report from The Nation

9 Comments

  1. PJ London said,

    August 27, 2017 at 11:16

    Sorry, but I missed it.
    What was Colin Kaepernick’s punishment?

  2. desertpeace said,

    August 27, 2017 at 11:56

    He was not allowed to play in the game

  3. PJ London said,

    August 27, 2017 at 12:48

    Thanks, when did that occur?
    He completed the season, playing in all the games even after he stayed sitting and then kneeling during the anthem.
    My understanding is that ‘he’ opted out of his contract in March (which was a condition in the contract that he could exercise ) and he quit the 49ers. He chose to become a ‘free agent’.
    He has not, to the best of my knowledge, accused the 49ers of putting pressure on him, and they certainly did not cancel or withdraw his contract. Although they probably could have invoked a ‘disrepute’ or ‘controversy’ clause.

  4. desertpeace said,

    August 27, 2017 at 16:10

    Here is the punishment …. As a result of his doing this Kaepernick has not been picked as a team player on any of the NFL football teams for the coming season.

  5. PJ London said,

    August 27, 2017 at 16:36

    Regardless of whether one agrees with him or not, regardless of whether he represents a minority or a majority, a team would have to be insane to offer him a new contract.
    He will bring division to both the team and the fans. Football teams are in business not in politics.
    He wants to make political statements fine, then he must become a politician. Otherwise he has to live with the commercial consequences of making such a statement.
    We all do!
    I hugely admire Rachel Corrie, but opening a restaurant in Brooklyn, Flat Bush or the Lower East Side, and calling it “Rachel Corrie” would be commercial suicide, whether it is Kosher or not.
    To blame the teams and to call it punishment is in my view ridiculous.
    No matter what my business was I would not employee Kaepernick or David Duke and for the same reason, they would detract from the effectiveness of the business.

  6. left blank said,

    August 28, 2017 at 06:07

    taxpayers across America still trying to figure out why they are driven in to debt , buying multi billion dollar sports stadiums. so wealthy pro teams can play in them free of charge …

  8. DDearborn said,

    August 28, 2017 at 15:42

    Hmmm

    from a legal point of view this entire fiasco is cut and dried. There was nothing in his contract preventing him from kneeling. His first amendment right to do so is ironclad.

    What should be on trial here is the intolerance for other people’s right to express their views. And of course the complete and utter contempt such demands that he stop mean for the Bill of Rights.

    Good grief people in general, particularly in large groups are not just stupid, they are utterly predictable. Which is why the world continues on after thousands of years to be ruled by a literal handful of people………..