NFL players protest en masse in early-morning London game

Across the pond, football players show an unprecedented display of protest during national anthem

Published September 24, 2017 11:01AM (EDT)

 (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

A day after President Donald Trump condemned athletes who protested during the national anthem, NFL players took their demonstrations international on Sunday by kneeling during "The Star-Spangled Banner" in London. An early-morning NFL game pivoting the Baltimore Ravens and the Jacksonville Jaguars at England's Wembley Stadium saw mass protests by both teams, a show of defiance against the president's divisive rhetoric.

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who donated $1 million to the Trump campaign, also joined the protest, locking arms with the players.

Trump on Saturday said that NFL players should be forbidden from disrespecting the flag and demanded that they stand for the national anthem. If they failed to do so, Trump suggested that the players should be cut from their respective teams.

Trump's tweets on Saturday didn't just instigate a feud with football players. Trump also drew the ire of NBA stars after he disinvited the Golden State Warriors from visiting the White House in celebration of their national championship. Trump only rescinded the invite after Steph Curry indicated that he and his team would not be seeing the president this year.

Trump then decided to take on the entire sports world by commenting on the NFL protests. Owners from around the league responded by denouncing Trump's hateful rhetoric.


By Taylor Link

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Donald Trump Football Nfl Police Brutality Protest Sports