Kenner, Louisiana, mayor overturns Nike ban

KENNER, La. – The mayor of a suburb of New Orleans states that he is canceling his order prohibiting the recreation department of his city from buying Nike products intended for the city's recreational facilities.

Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn said at a press conference Wednesday that he had done so on the advice of the city prosecutor and that the order had divided the city .

Last week's order from Zahn came a couple of days after the sportswear manufacturer used former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in an ad campaign. Kaepernick unleashed a firestorm in 2016 when he began to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and social injustice.

The order of Zahn had aroused sharp criticism inside and outside the city. The Louisiana section of the American Civil Liberties Union had called on the mayor to cancel it earlier Wednesday.