The Green Bay Packers host the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football this week at Lambeau Field, and the organization released a statement on Monday night asking fans to lock arms during the national anthem as a “display of unity.”
The statement says that Packers players, coaches, and staff “will join together with arms intertwined.”
Here’s a portion of the statement:
This Thursday during the national anthem at Lambeau Field, Packers players, coaches and staff will join together with arms intertwined—connected like the threads on your favorite jersey. When we take this action, what you will see will be so much more than just a bunch of football players locking arms. The image you will see on September 28th will be one of unity. It will represent a coming together of players who want the same things that all of us do—freedom, equality, tolerance, understanding, and justice for those who have been unjustly treated, discriminated against or otherwise treated unfairly. You will see the sons of police officers, kids who grew up in military families, people who have themselves experienced injustice and discrimination firsthand, and an array of others all linking together in a display of unity.
Those of us joining arms on Thursday will be different in so many ways, but one thing that binds us together is that we are all individuals who want to help make our society, our country and our world a better place. We believe that in diversity there can be UNI-versity. Intertwined, we represent the many people who helped build this country, and we are joining together to show that we are ready to continue to build.
Let’s work together to build a society that is more fair and just.
Join us this Thursday by locking arms with whoever you’re with, stranger or loved one, wherever you are—intertwined and included—in this moment of unification.
The statement was released by the organization after star quarterback Aaron Rodgers had already encouraged fans to “join in as well and come together” when meeting with the media on Monday afternoon.
VIDEO: Aaron Rodgers asks Packers fans to join show of unity pic.twitter.com/CAECthVqPj
— azcentral (@azcentral) September 26, 2017
Via ESPN.Com:
“This is about equality,” the quarterback said. “This is about unity and love and growing together as a society and starting a conversation around something that may be a little bit uncomfortable for people. But we’ve got to come together and talk about these things and grow as a community, as a connected group of individuals in our society, and we’re going to continue to show love and unity, and this week we’re going to ask the fans to join in as well and come together and show people that we can be connected and we can grow together.”
The idea of asking fans to join in came from Packers tight end Martellus Bennett, according to another Packers tight end, Lance Kendricks:
“I think it was Marty’s [Bennett’s] idea,” said Kendricks, who said he sat during the anthem to bring awareness to people in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria. “Aaron spoke first, and he kind of laid it out and laid out the fact that he’s on our side and he understands the message being conveyed and trying to get across. And then Marty wrote a statement, and in the statement he said we’re going to lock arms and he’s going to challenge the fans to lock arms as well, so it kind of puts them in a position where it’s like, ‘Look, you’re either going to unite with us or you’re not.’ I think that’s really cool, because it puts them in a position where it’s like now we’re talking to you, so you make a decision, peacefully make a decision.”
On Saturday, Bennett sent out a series of tweets in response to Donald Trump’s comments that NFL owners should “fire” players who protest during the national anthem. Among the tweets from Bennett was one that said, “I’m ok with being fired for what I believe in.”
[Packers.Com; ESPN]
