The Cleveland Browns made national news recently when a dozen members of the team knelt during the national anthem, the largest such protest to date in the NFL. In response, Cleveland’s police union has said its officers will not hold the American flag during the anthem prior to Browns games, reports Yahoo News.
NFL players have offered various rationales for kneeling during the national anthem, from systemic injustice to specific critiques of police behavior. However, virtually all players who have spoken on their motivations have stressed that they do so out of a hope to improve the country they love.
That rationale didn’t fly with Cleveland’s police union. “It’s just ignorant for someone to [kneel],” Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association president Steve Loomis told cleveland.com. “It just defies logic to me. The fact that management was aware of what they planned on doing, that’s as offensive as it can get.”
It’s important to note that the Cleveland Police Department is not protesting or boycotting the Browns; this is the officers’ union. Cleveland police stressed that they are still committed to fulfilling their duties at Browns games.
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