President Donald Trump has insisted this weekend in his case of athletes who, through their distrust of his government or their stance on issues of society, lack respect for the United States and American flag.
The response of American football to Trump was surprising. The NFL players massively laid a knee on the ground in early games on Sunday, a gesture of distrust that American president regards as a disrespect to America.
The phase of protest comes a few hours after Trump suggested to amateurs to boycott the teams whose players don’t respect the national anthem.
“We have a big country. We have a great people who represent our country, especially our soldiers and our first responders. They must be treated with respect,” Trump said after landed at Washington on Sunday.
“When you put a knee down and don’t respect the American flag or our anthem, it is disrespectful. It has nothing to do with race or anything else. This has to do with respect.” Trump added.
More than twenty players from the Cleveland Browns also kneeled on the ground as the national anthem resounded against the Indianapolis Colts.
Some colour players also raised their fists, imitating the gesture of the twon African-American athletes muffed during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico.
“Great solidarity for our national anthem and for our country. Standing by the arms is good, kneeling is unacceptable,” Trump tweeted in his twitter account.
“If NFL fans refuse to go to games untill the players stop showing disrespect to our flag and our country, you will soon see a change. Fired or hang!” he added.
On Sunday, 15 NFL players knelt and many of them stood by the arms. (Source:www.thedenver.com)
Another form of protest when the hym was heard in Nashville, neither the Seattle Seahawks nor the Tennessee Titans were present on the field.
“We won’t stand up for the injustice that has overwhelmed people of this skin colour in this country.” the Seattle players said in a statement.
Patriots president Robert Kraft, meanwhile, said he was “deeply dissapointed” shortly before Sunday’s game by the tone of the president’s words.
“I know our players who kneeled during the national anthem, and these are intelligent young men with character who wanted to start a dialogue, had also abounded, before the games. At the moment, our country needs leadership that unites, not more division. ” Kraft said.
