Rep. Keith Ellison To Boycott NFL Over Anthem Protest Policy
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Despite describing himself as a "massive football fan," U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison says he won't be watching the NFL this season in the wake of the league's new policy on kneeling during the national anthem.
The Democrat from Minnesota's 5th Congressional District announced his boycott on Twitter, saying that he won't be watching as long as league owners penalize on-field protests.
"I hope the owners realize that freedom of expression is as American as you can get," he wrote.
I'm a massive football fan, but I will not be watching the NFL if they keep the kneeling ban in place. I hope the owners realize that freedom of expression is as American as you can get. https://t.co/6irkWfGxcK
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) June 1, 2018
The controversy over kneeling during the national anthem started in 2016 when quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner" to protest police killings of unarmed black men.
However, some football fans and politicians, including President Donald Trump, saw the protest as unpatriotic and disrespectful to veterans.
The new NFL rule, which was announced last month, says that teams will be fined an unspecified amount if players or team personnel kneel during the national anthem.
Yet, the new rule also allows protesting players to stay in the locker room while the anthem is played.
In his tweets, Ellison said that the president used the power of his office to pressure NFL owners to restrict the expression of their players and employees.
"That's not just unfortunate," he wrote. "It's deeply troubling."
Let's be clear about what occurred: The president of the United States used the power of his office to pressure a group of business people to restrict the rights and the expression of their employees. That's not just unfortunate — it's deeply troubling.
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) June 1, 2018
