DuPont, Washington mayor Mike Courts announced that he has cancelled his town’s upcoming Seahawks rally, scheduled for Saturday before their home opener against Miami due to the team’s expected protest of the national anthem prior to kickoff.
Both Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin and former Green Beret Nate Boyer tweeted Thursday that the entire team would conduct a demonstration, but didn’t say what it would be.
https://twitter.com/DougBaldwinJr/status/773969821360754688
“While I respect the right of NFL players to express themselves, they must also respect the fact that their actions are hurtful to the community. As I said before, we need to find answers without violence or vitriol. So, until we as a community can find ways to talk and work together, the City of DuPont will not take sides by offering official support of the Seahawks, NFL, or individual players,” said Courts in a statement posted on the city’s website.
This protest is coming without either violence or vitriol, but whatever floats Mayor Courts’ boat. Courts is a retired Army Colonel.
“I believe the controversy surrounding the potential protest at the Seahawk game makes it inappropriate to commit City resources to an activity that may be misunderstood or prove offensive to a large number of our residents. This does not mean that I or the City do not support the causes being championed, we simply do not support the protest actions being contemplated,” he added.
After Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protest during the preseason, it seems that more players and even teams are going to start following suit. And, unsurprisingly, there will be responses to the protests like this from those who aren’t too pleased with them.
It’s a never-ending cycle.
[KING5]