Green Bay, WI – Undeterred by road closures and brisk evening temperatures, a dedicated group of around one dozen Green Bay, WI, activists arrived near Entrance 2 for the NFL Draft. It was April 24, the first day of the Draft, and a section of South Ridge Road at the western corner of Lambeau Field was closed to traffic; making it perfect for a banner drop. The action was organized by the Green Bay Anti-War Committee (GBAC), the small city organization that could.

GBAC’s used the high foot traffic to raise awareness about the genocide in Gaza. They were met by many fans who were excited to see the Palestine solidarity signs and banners. A post-action statement published by GBAC sums up the attitude nicely, “many of their hearts are big enough to reach across the ocean. Green Bay cares about the Palestinian people, wants them to be free from violence, and to thrive.”

The banner drop also attracted negative attention from a few. However, some quick thinking activists were able to find common ground by talking about the free handouts of money and arms to Israel. GBAC, having existed since November of 2023, has continued to stand with Palestine during this genocide, and will continue to advocate until Palestine is free. GBAC plans to have a presence at the Green Bay May Day action, in Leicht Memorial Park, on May 1.

#GreenBayWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Culture #Sports #NFL

The history of kneeling to protest national oppression, and NFL player activism last season

Athlete protests during the national anthem isn’t a recent phenomenon. In 1996, National Basketball Association player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, a guard for the Denver Nuggets, refused to stand for the national anthem due to American Islamophobic rhetoric. He said of the protests, “the flag is a symbol of oppression, of tyranny.” “This country has a long history of that. I don't think you can argue the facts. You can't be for God and for oppression. I don't criticize those who stand, so don't criticize me for sitting. I won't waver from my decision.”

He was subject to suspensions and fines by the NBA as well as hate threats with one of his homes being burned down.

Kneeling during the national anthem in the NFL however, made famous by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, was started as a protest against police violence and the national oppression of African Americans. Kaepernick, along with his teammate Eric Reid, started kneeling during the anthem to send a message against police shootings. Both Reid and Kaepernick are currently being retaliated against by NFL teams for their activism and have filed a grievance against the NFL for collusion amongst the ownership for preventing them from gaining employment because of their protests. Reid even visited the Cincinnati Bengals, whose ownership told him that he planned to ban Bengals players from participating in anthem protests and refused to sign him because of the stance he has taken.

Last year, Trump, at a rally in Alabama, called for kneeling players to be fired, which set off massive protests by NFL players the following week. Many took part in putting their fists up or kneeling during the national anthem in a sign of defiance against the bigot Trump. Some NFL owners pledged support for the players right to protest during the aftermath of Trump’s comments. Other NFL owners such as Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, who is close to the criminal Bush family dynasty, likened player protests to “inmates running the prison,” which led to outrage amongst his players and even threats of player walkouts at practices due to the comments. McNair later walked back the comments claiming he was misquoted, saying he was actually referring to NFL executives.

It was exposed in 2015 that nearly $5.4 million in taxpayer dollars had been paid out to 14 NFL teams between 2011 and 2014 to honor the military and put on elaborate ‘patriotic salutes’ to the military. It was reported the Department of Defense spent over $10 million in tax payer dollars on working with professional teams in the NFL to show overtly patriotic messages. Therefore, the NFL had to come down on anthem protests as it directly conflicted with their bottom line.

All these incidents have led to a rise in NFL player activism, with contradictions and camps amongst the players emerging. Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Malcom Jenkins, Patriots defensive back Devan McCourty and retired former star player Anquan Boldin, players who took part in protests and/or supported the initial actions of Kaepernick, created a players’ organization called the Players Coalition made up of over 100 current and former NFL players. After initial protests, the Players Coalition, led by Jenkins and others, agreed to not protest during the anthem in exchange for NFL ownership pledging $89 million over seven years to support the Players’ Coalition’s ideals of criminal justice reform through legislative lobbying efforts. Such compromise was met with much chagrin by other players such as New Orleans Saints wideout Michael Thomas and former Kaepernick teammate Eric Reid, with Thomas saying that they “don't believe the coalition's beliefs are in our best interests as a whole.”

The NFL players, the prospects of a strike and the broader movement

As of 2017, 68% of NFL players were Black. For a predominately Black league, players must continue to organize themselves to protect their First Amendment rights, to fight against police brutality but as well improve their own labor conditions.

Under the current labor agreement, National Basketball Association (NBA) players get over half of the league’s revenue, as opposed to the NFL, where players get less than half. NFL players get twice as much total money as NBA players, but that money is spread over almost four times as many athletes. There are 32 NFL teams with 53 roster spots each, making for 1696 NFL players at any given moment. There are 30 NBA teams with 15 roster spots each, making for 450 NBA players. A huge difference in NFL and NBA player salaries is that only a fraction of the typical NFL contract is guaranteed, while the NFL is more profitable than any other major sports league in the world.

Also, NFL players have shorter careers due to the violent nature of the sport, with players taking on more safety risks than the average athlete, leading to issues around concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) being found in now deceased former NFL players.

These issues, along with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s unilateral moves around player discipline, the controversy around the NFL players’ anthem protests and the subsequent crackdown on them by NFL bosses, sets up for major contract negotiations after the 2020 season.

Star players like San Francisco 49ers defensive back have already started talking about the possibilities of a strike in 2021.

“If we want to get anything done, players have to be willing to strike,” Sherman said in 2017. “That’s the thing that guys need to 100% realize. You’re going to have to miss games, you’re going to have to lose some money if you’re willing to make the point, because that’s how MLB and NBA got it done.”

Clearly the recent crackdown on player protests by NFL owners are a bone they are throwing towards racist fans and owners disgusted with the player protests. Trump and his supporters used the NFL player protests as a battering ram against the national movement against police crimes and the broader Black liberation movement. Trump supporters called for NFL boycotts last year after the player protests. NFL ratings dropped 10% in 2017, numbers hailed by Trump supporters as showing the boycott worked. However, such an argument doesn’t stand the litmus test, given how ratings dropped even before the player protests. This can be due to NFL oversaturation on various media outlets besides television. As well, the NFL is still racking in record television contracts, including a recent $3 billion TV deal they signed with FOX sports in January.

While NFL bosses may have thought such a policy seeking to limit NFL player protests would scare off player activism, it will surely have an opposite effect. Before Trump spoke on the NFL player protests last year, there weren’t as many player protests as there were after Trump made his racist remarks. Surely a policy seeking to limit player protests will inflame NFL athletes to protests even more.

The new decree by NFL bosses even provoked a response from New York Jets acting owner Christopher Johnson, to say he’ll pay player fines for those who choose to participate in protests. There is already talk amongst NFL players of continuing their anthem protests as well as finding new ways to protest, even from some who hadn’t protested previously, some protesting just to spite the NFL’s new policy.

NFL player protests must continue to be supported, and NFL Players Association leadership must fight harder to pushback against the infringement of First Amendment rights of the NFL workers they represent. Next season we can expect to even more protests, especially as the Black liberation movement in the U.S. continues to grow, along with the pushback against police brutality and broader institutional racism.

#JacksonvilleFL #Labor #Sports #strike #NFL #NationalAnthem

The tactic of taking a knee during the national anthem was started by African American quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started the 2016 season by taking a knee during the national anthem to shine light on widespread police crimes, police brutality and the racist national oppression of Black people. Throughout last season, different football players took a knee, raised a fist or other symbolic actions at the start of games.

Those actions have been met with much hostility and hatred from right wingers, reactionary football fans and commentators. However, Sunday and Monday's actions at different NFL football games have sent a large message to the Trump administration and police departments nationwide that NFL players are no longer sitting on the sidelines when it comes to using their platform to raise awareness around police brutality. These actions also show that players understand and demand their right of to political expression without retaliation from the NFL owners.

People represent ideals. Colin Kaepernick represents the fight against police crimes and racist discrimination in many ways. On the flip side, Donald Trump and his presidency encapsulates a lot of reactionary and bad ideas. Trump ran on being the law-and-order, pro-police brutality and overtly pro-imperialist aggression candidate.

In Huntsville, Alabama, when he called Kaepernick a “SOB” and demanded that the NFL owners fire players who didn't stand for the anthem, he choose the path of feeding his right-wing base the red meat of being pro-boss rights, having the right to fire a worker for anything, but as well equating anti-police brutality protests with an attack on the flag, vets and cops. This was a very strategic line of communication from right-wing forces to deter from the actual struggle against police violence that the NFL player actions had advocated for.

NFL players protesting and others on this day taking a knee against Trump's comments are protests against police violence and for the right of workers, especially majority Black workers in the NFL, to not want to be fired for expressing their views against racism. The actions Sunday and Monday were met with much hostility from Trump supporters and Fraternal Order of Police presidents nationwide.

These protests were progressive and very impactful for the players and as well as those in the black liberation movement. Conservative forces and political action committees have already started boycotts of the NFL for the actions that players have took. We should salute the NFL players and the NFL players union for standing up to Trump as well as their right to use their platform to protest against police brutality.

This past Sunday and Monday, we saw NFL owners being forced to support the players’ protest to avoid labor unrest. If anyone understands the NFL then you understand that each team is owned by a member of the ruling class. For example, the owner of the Seattle Seahawks franchise is Paul Allen, co-founder along Bill Gates of Microsoft. So to see NFL owners and billionaires in most cases defend their players right to protest over that of Trump's comments is shocking. Shad Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, supported ruling class member Hillary Clinton in the general election but then donated to Trump's inauguration. However, he joined with his team on the field in London, locking arms with players in protest of Trump's comments. This should shows us a sense of chaos within the ruling class, a lack of unity amongst the bourgeoisie with billionaire owners siding with their players over that of Trump.

In 2014, Trump sought to purchase the Buffalo Bills, another NFL team but was rejected from acquiring it. According to NFL team purchasing rules, owners must approve the purchase of a franchise. Trump even sued the NFL in the 1980s to benefit a professional football league he led, the USFL which he eventually bankrupted. So no love is lost between Trump and the other billionaire owners who once rejected his bid to join their ranks. However, their break against Trump mostly shows that even the owners know where the power lies. That power lies with the NFL players who are unionized workers. The ruling class can plainly be seen as still in a state of chaos over the Trump presidency. Actions taken by the people's movement and their organizations can continue to help exploit those contradictions for the betterment of workers everywhere.

Throughout our history, professional athletes standing up for justice have had a profound effect on our society. We can't forget Muhammad Ali, who spoke out against the Vietnam War and refused the draft and was punished by the U.S. government for it. In the 1968 Olympics, African-American athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith, during the 1968 Olympic medal ceremony, each raised a black-gloved fist as they turned to face the U.S. flags during the national anthem. Black athletes have historically played positive roles in uplifting the struggle of the Black liberation movement.

We should continue to support black NFL players and other professional athletes who stand in solidarity and take action against the oppression of African Americans.

Salute to Colin Kaepernick and other athletes who raise their voice against police brutality and racist national oppression.

#JacksonvilleFL #Sports #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #NFL #ColinKaepernick

Minneapolis, MN – Over five thousand people joined eleven tribal nations in demanding Washington’s football franchise “change the name!” Gathering at Northrop Plaza at the University of Minnesota over 3,000 people marched and converged on the stadium two hours before the game and were joined by 2,000 others who marched from the Phillips Neighborhood of South Minneapolis.

Protesters marched in front of the stadium and through the Tribal Nations Plaza. The plaza was built to honor the Minnesota tribes that helped pay for the stadium.

Speakers called Washington owner Dan Snyder’s defense of his team’s name, “hate speech for profit.” White Earth Band member and AIM co-founder Clyde Bellecourt told the rally, “there have been millions of people erased from the face of the earth.” Bellecourt explained the origin of the team name as being, “when blood ran down those children’s faces, those grandmas and mothers, the families… whole tribes were decimated. That’s where the word ‘redskin’ comes from.”

Earlier in the week at a press conference for the protest, University of Minnesota law student Aubrey Stangan explained how the protest would be an event to come together and speak out highlighting the history of scalping, colonialism and genocide. The protest featured over 29 speakers including the Mayor of Minneapolis, former governor of Minnesota, a congressman, a former Vikings player and many tribal leaders from around the United States.

Also speaking at the press conference, Spike Moss, a board member of the NAACP added the long history of oppression shared between African Americans and American Indians and the need for unity and solidarity. American Indian and former Vikings defensive back Joey Browner added, “As a former player I feel really sad right now.” Continuing, he stated, “We’re not mascots.”

Clyde Bellecourt cited precedent for changing the name, pointing out that 22,000 universities, colleges and high schools have changed their names, including all of the Minnesota state high schools. University of Minnesota student and Student for a Democratic Society member Matt Boynton asked, “What is the purpose of keeping the name other than money?”

Protests of Washington's team name date back to at least 1972. Minneapolis has a long tradition of protesting racism in sports including protests of the Washington football team name during the 1992 Super Bowl hosted in Minneapolis and the 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians.

#MinneapolisMN #Sports #IndigenousPeoples #Antiracism #football #WashingtonRedskins #mascots #NFL