Minutes before Thursday night’s 2020 NFL season opener, players from the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans locked arms on the field in a demonstration of racial injustice.
The PA announcer at Arrowhead said, “Please join us in a moment of silence dedicated to the ongoing fight for equality in our country.”
The scoreboard showed the following statement from the players:
“We support equality. We must end racism. We believe in justice for all. We must end police brutality. We choose unconditional love. We believe Black lives matter. It takes all of us.”
Well, during the moment of unity, many fans at Arrowhead stadium chose to boo the demonstration.
The Chiefs and Texans locked arms for "A moment of silence dedicated to the ongoing fight for equality in our country."
And the #NFL fans in Kansas City booed them. pic.twitter.com/NcUG45FWZp
— Ben Krimmel (@BenKrimmel) September 11, 2020
The Chiefs don’t want you to know that, and their Twitter account edited out the boos.
Oh my god they edited out the boos https://t.co/9MwE2V9MpV
— Josh Hill (@jdavhill) September 11, 2020
Oh, and the fans at Arrowhead Stadium did the tomahawk chop shortly after booing the moment of unity.
Moments after applauding an on-field demonstration by players in support of racial justice, Kansas City football fans begin – I kid you not – their team's "Tomahawk Chop" and war chant. pic.twitter.com/vpalj905NV
— Simon Houpt (@simonhoupt) September 11, 2020
Here are some reactions on Twitter:
The Chiefs and Texans players showing unity — and fans booing that display before doing the tomahawk chop — was a dead-on accurate representation of where this country is.
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) September 11, 2020
My hometown's got no love for unity? They're booing unity now?pic.twitter.com/fAN92iqHJv
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) September 11, 2020
Yeah, so that booing during the “show of unity” is a real good example of why players feel so strongly about these causes in the first place.
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) September 11, 2020
The entire offseason was about unity and equality. Then as the season starts, the fans boo unity and perform the tomahawk chop. Oy.
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) September 11, 2020
Booing the moment of unity???? Wow
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) September 11, 2020
Chiefs fans booed during the moment of unity!?!? Wtf
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) September 11, 2020