Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protests have taken place across the country. There have also been reports of riots in Atlanta, New York City, Colorado and Kansas. Vice President Mike Pence took to Twitter recently to call for “peaceful protests” and said that he and President Donald Trump will always stand for this right. However, Twitter users responded by referencing Pence prematurely leaving an NFL game after the national anthem.
In October 2017, Pence attended a game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts. However, he left shortly after the national anthem due to several members of the 49ers kneeling as part of a peaceful protest. Pence later released a statement saying that he and Trump would not dignify any event that “disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem.” Trump also said that he asked Pence to leave the stadium if any players kneeled.
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With this NFL moment serving as a backdrop, Twitter users responded to the vice president. Many wrote that he does not approve of peaceful protests while others referred to him as “a clown.” The vast majority simply referenced the time he walked out of the football game.
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Says the ๐คก that left a football game because he was upset by a peaceful protest. https://t.co/VGkBDnrrCh
โ Aaron Grisham (@AaronGrisham247) May 30, 2020
remember when Colin Kaepernick peacefully protest and you stood your ass up and walked out the game https://t.co/akLfNOfKTh
โ Ayo Edebiri (@ayoedebiri) May 29, 2020
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You left a football game because some players were kneeling in peaceful protest against racial injustice.
โ Biden_Brigade (@biden_brigade) May 29, 2020
You left a football game where the players peacefully protested…
โ d_mcc (@d_mccarthy37) May 29, 2020
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You cost taxpayer money staging a walkout at a televised football game so your performative ethics could be viewed by all. Your objections to peaceful protest were so heightened and fragile that you had to stage a set-piece with money from my pocket. Hypocrite. You are complicit
โ Rokey๐บ๐ธ BidenHarris2020 (@rokeypdx) May 29, 2020
To @VP @Mike_Pence: the man wearing red is conducting his own personal peaceful protest, harming no person or property. So I take it you’re condemning the person in blue who is definitely exhibiting violence against a person? pic.twitter.com/k7iVxrEZn2
โ Charlsa Bentley (@charlsabentley) May 29, 2020
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You flew 1000 miles back home to attend a football game, then left before kickoff because players took a knee to peacefully protest police killing black people. And then you flew back to where you were, all on the tax payer time.
โ John (@solar_resister) May 29, 2020
what an outrageous lie pic.twitter.com/LT3pL7ozoY
โ steve (@sschreiber13) May 29, 2020
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Kaepernick: *kneels*
โ Marquis de Lafayette(Reese) (@JackJackington) May 29, 2020
GOP: *clutches their pearls violently rather than confront racism*
Also GOP: We support peaceful protest!
Awkward… pic.twitter.com/bWkh3yeXe8
โ Andrew Wortman (@AmoneyResists) May 29, 2020
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remember when you cost this country over a quarter of a million dollars to walk out of a game that some football players kneeled at?
โ The World’s Most Scariest Seagull – Avianto (@CafeteriaJangle) May 29, 2020
of course you listed property first.
โ marisa kabas (@MarisaKabas) May 29, 2020
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” We will always stand for the right of Americans to peacefully protest and let their voices be heard.”
โ DonJuan The Boy Wonder ๐ง๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ช ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ช๐ธ ๐บ๐ธ (@BoiJuanda) May 29, 2020
Ha! Yeah right! pic.twitter.com/NqoWUJyhhs
I really enjoyed how you and your boss stood and supported @Kaepernick7 during his peaceful protests. Oh, wait, you didn’t…
โ Mike Neary (@TheRacerMike) May 29, 2020