[ad_1]
More than two years after-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first opted to sit as a silent protestant during the national anthem, an unidentified NFL cheerleader has followed suit. A 49ers cheerleader was seen kneeling during the national anthem Thursday when the 49ers played local rival the Oakland Raiders. While Kaepernick's controversial action spurred dozens of players across the league to join him in sitting, kneeling, or raising their fist during the national anthem as a protest police brutality and racial injustice, Thursday's incident is believed to be an early NFL cheerleader has joined the protest.
A photograph snapped, and shared, by NBC News reporter Damian Trujillo captured 49ers cheerleader kneeling on the knees with her hands and poms placed on the ground at the top of the field at Levi's Stadium. The rest of the San Francisco 49ers cheerleaders can be seen standing in training with the NFL cheerleader. Bustle has reached out to both the 49ers and the NFL for comment.
While the cheerleader is in question, the gesture is heavily reminiscent of Kaepernick's protest.
The first time Kaepernick sat in protest during the 2016 preseason. According to SB Nation, Kaepernick's controversial protest was not noticed right away. He reportedly sat at least two preseason games before his protest made headlines. At the time, he told NFL.com he was hoping to use his platform as a player to raise awareness of issues like police brutality and racial injustice.
"Kaepernick told NFL.com" I'm going to stand up to show pride in a black people and people of color. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfie on my part in the other way.
Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Sports / Getty Images
At the time, both the NFL and the 49ers said Kaepernick had a right to stand for the national anthem, NFL.com reported. But as dozens of other players began to sit, kneel, or raise their fist for aiding or joining Kaepernick's national anthem protest, criticism against the quarterback mounted. And by the time the 2017 NFL draft was over, no team had signed Kaepernick, meaning he would not be playing in the NFL that year, if ever again.
NFL cheerleader has had a knee-jerk in the national anthem, and it's reportedly not at the first time. According to CNN, Howard University's cheer squad kneeled for the anthem when the university's football team played at the now-discontinued AT & T Nation's Football Clbadic at RFK Stadium in September 2016.
It remains unclear if other cheerleaders will follow suit.
[ad_2]
Source link
