"It's disgusting for a vet to kneel when the anthem is playing"- NFL fans react to veteran’s support of Colin Kaepernick’s protest

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick shook the NFL world by kneeling in protest of police brutality and racial inequality during the National Anthem. He and several other NFL players, including then-teammate Eric Reid, continued this for several years. His decision split the NFL fanbase in two, with those supporting the decision and those against it.

Here's what he said to the the media on why he did it:

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

Following another incident almost six years after the quarterback first took the knee, one NFL fan and United States veteran shared their story. In a Twitter post, Stevie Joe Payne said:

"When Coin Kaepernick took a knee, I took a knee. I wasn't in a packed stadium but I did what I could, where I could."

NFL fans were quick to respond to the tweet, which has so far been liked by 75.6 thousand people. Predictably, responses varied. One fan expressed their disappointment succintly:

One NFL fan thanked the man for doing what he could:

Several commenters were disappointed in the veteran for choosing to kneel:

More commenters thanked him and shared their own experiences:

One commenter wasn't pleased, and didn't quite stop short of chastising the original poster:

Another person thanked him for his service:

---

Athletes rallied to Colin Kaepernick's protest against brutality and inequality

His stance was quickly taken up by athletes in every sport. Megan Rapinoe, a soccer player for the United States Women's National Team, joined the quarterback shortly after he began. Brandon Marshall, Kaepernick's college teammate, knelt as well. As did Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans. Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty of the New England Patriots protested, too.

The protests in 2016 even spread to high schools, where several students across the nation knelt during their games. 27 members of the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars knelt before their game at Wembley Stadium in London in 2017.

During one game, no members of the Seattle Seahawks or Tennessee Titans took the field for the anthem. In a later game, every member of the Dallas Cowboys, including owner Jerry Jones, knelt.

In 2019, Eric Reid, who began the protest with Kaepernick, knelt as a member of the Carolina Panthers. Kenny Stills of the Houston Texans and Albert Wilson of the Miami Dolphins knelt, too.

The protests sparked up again in 2020 when George Floyd was killed by police. This time, it included a video asking Roger Goodell to address the issue. He apologized to Kaepernick for not listening.

Atlanta Falcons v Carolina Panthers

On Opening Day for the MLB in 2020, both the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals knelt together. At the end of the 2020 NBA season, commissioner Adam Silver revoked the rule prohibiting players from kneeling during the anthem.

It will be interesting to see if it will also feature in the 2022 NFL season.