Dallas Cowboys players protested during the national anthem ahead of their Monday Night Football match-up against the Arizona Cardinals.
The team took a knee before Jordin Sparks sang “The Star Spangled Banner.” They then stood and linked arms as the song was performed. Team owner Jerry Jones joined the team’s protest by kneeling and linking up with them.
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No Cardinals players could be seen kneeling, but they did link arms as a sign of solidarity with the protesting players. The team had also arranged for military and law enforcement veterans to unroll a giant American flag across the field for the anthem.
As a statement of unity and equality, the entire Dallas Cowboys team took a knee before the national anthem. pic.twitter.com/5DsS0KFZXg
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 26, 2017
Several anonymous players alluded to the protests earlier in the day during interviews with local media.
“It’s not going to be business as usual,” one player said. “He crossed a line. Something will be done.”
This not the first time the team, who has been dubbed “America’s Team,” has bonded together to stand for a cause.
On July 31, 2016, the team locked arms in unison with Dallas Police Department officers in the wake of the July 7 shooting of several officers by terrorist Micah Xavier Johnson.
Several NFL teams have either knelt, locked arms or stayed in the locker room during the national anthem to dissent against Trump’s statements about players peacefully protesting police brutality.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, say, ‘Get that son of a b—- off the field right now?’” Trump said. “Out. He’s fired. He’s fired!’ “
“That’s a total disrespect of our heritage. That’s a total disrespect of everything that we stand for,” Trump said.
