The Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears players linked arms while standing against each other on the field during the singing of the National Anthem before their game on Thursday. Just like other football teams, the Packers and Bears displayed their protest as emotions were triggered by the latest comments of President Donald Trump about firing players who kneel during the singing of the national anthem.
Heightening the NFL Players’ Protest
Player protests have heightened this week as many NFL players did the same during the US national anthem.
As President Donald Trump urged team owners to fire their players who kneel down during the national anthem, owners let players decide on their own whether to join the protest or not. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones even joined his team taking knees and then linking arms in the sideline on Monday during their game against the Arizona Cardinals who also did the same, as reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Fox News reported that Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers announced on Twitter that he gave tickets to policemen in the Wisconsin area for their game against Chicago Bears on Thursday. He further urged audiences to do the same. He said the move is about equality. “This is about unity and love and growing together as a society and starting a conversation around something that may be a little bit uncomfortable for people,” he told ESPN.
Some people responded but most didn’t.
Unraveling what’s behind the NFL protest during US national anthem
The move on taking a knee during the singing of the US national anthem or standing while linking arms is a silent protest started by American football player Colin Kaepernick, 13 months ago, when he sat on the bench while the national anthem was sung. His second move was taking a knee. In his later comment, he said he did that to show his lack of pride in a flag that oppresses black people and people of color.
Originally, the context surrounding the NFL protest during the game’s singing of the US national anthem is the repeated showing of a video of a policeman shooting a black man carrying no weapon.
Racism was then felt since no charge or reported prison time was given to responsible policemen who did the shooting.
While most teams are expected to continue the move such as linking arms and taking a knee during the singing of the US national anthem, the Denver Broncos posted a message on Twitter. They said they will stand together starting Sunday.