NFL Kneeling Protests Continued During Veterans Day Weekend

Three players took a knee before the Giants played the 49ers during Veterans Day weekend.

NFL
Olivier Vernon #54 of the New York Giants kneels during the national anthem prior to their NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on November 12, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The protests that have been rocking the NFL continued over Veterans Day weekend, with three players taking a knee during the national anthem before the New York Giants game at the San Francisco 49ers. The rest of the league stood.

CBS News reports that 49ers Eric Reid and Marquise Goodwin both knelt. The two players have been doing this for most of the season. Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon, who has been protesting while injured but is newly activated, joined them.

The NFL Players Association had asked for a two-minute moment of silence to honor veterans before the game, reports CBS News. Other players who have been protesting most of this season stood for the anthem this week, including Seahawks Michael Bennett, who stood before his game on Thursday. Titans receiver Rishard Matthews has been protesting since President Donald Trump criticized players for protesting, but this week, he walked onto the filed holding hands with soldiers and stood with teammates.

The protest was started by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick last season to highlight police brutality against African Americans, as well as other issues. He is still unsigned and has filed a complaint that team owners colluded against him because of the protests.

The California chapter of the NAACP is trying to get rid of the national anthem, saying that the song is racist and anti-black, reports CBS News. 

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