A protest for Colin Kaepernick was attended by close to 1,000 people in New York City outside of NFL headquarters on Wednesday.
Spike Lee sent a tweet out two weeks ago announcing a protest for NFL quarterback and social activist Colin Kaepernick. The scene outside of NFL headquarters was peaceful on Wednesday.
Almost 1000 people are thought to have attended the rally. Most of the protesters wore Kaepernick t-shirts and jerseys. One shirt stood out in particular at the rally.
Protesters gathered in efforts to support Kaepernick. The former NFL starter remains unsigned by any NFL teams. The protesters and others believe the Kaepernick’s political values and actions are keeping him from a roster. There is little doubt that he is talented enough to make a roster at worst, as a back-up.
"Around 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, at the corner of 51st Street and Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan, Reverend Stephen Green stood at a podium on a raised stage, in front of a microphone, with about a dozen other social activists behind him."
The Reverend Green gave demands he would like met by the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell. There goal was to get a meeting with Goodell and discuss these topics.
"1. That the NFL institute a policy to protect players’ rights to have freedom of speech, so they can kneel, raise a fist or express opinions on social issues, if they wish.2. That the NFL establish a review board to, Green says, “examine issues of social injustice.” As Tamika Mallory, a social activist and co-organizer of the 2017 Women’s March, put it in her speech, “The NFL, just like the NYPD, cannot police itself. Any organization that is only being looked at from within is a failing organization. There must be a unit of people internally and externally that look at racial and cultural sensitivity issues within the NFL.”3. And that the NFL develop some sort of program to “reinvest into the communities in which they serve, where there are high rates of unemployment, high rates of mass incarceration. To re-invest those funds into the community,” Green says."
Next: Best QB/Head Coach Combos in NFL History
This protest might have little effect for NFL teams and signing Kaepernick. But at least it keeps attention on the issue and pushes the NFL to address it in some capacity.