Cheers to the NFL Packers and Their Coach for Speaking Out Against the Police Shooting of Jacob Blake
| revcom.us
The day after Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot seven times in the back by pigs as he was walking away from the cops, the National Football League team Green Bay Packers and their coach spoke out against the shooting and systematic racism. Green Bay is in northern Wisconsin, and the shooting of Jacob Blake took place in Kenosha in southern Wisconsin.
The Packers’ coach, Matt LaFleur held a meeting with player leaders and afterwards spoke to reporters via a Zoom news conference. LaFleur said, “You know, it’s amazing to me that this is still happening. So, I wanted to get our guys’ perspective, and try to float around some ideas on how we can make a difference and use our platform, because things have to change… The social injustice, the police brutality, the antiquated laws, just got to bring awareness to everybody that Black lives matter. We can’t stand for this any longer…
“It keeps happening over, and over, and over again, and it blows my mind that we’re sitting here in 2020, and we can’t treat everybody the same. I don’t know, I’m just kind of at a loss for words. I know I don’t know all the facts around the case, but it keeps happening over and over and over again.”
Billy Turner, a tackle on the Packers team, put up an Instagram post on the same day saying: “Imagine…Living your entire life & every time you see a police car/officer you fear for your Live & start praying because you are fearful that you’re going to lose your life at the hands of people who are supposed to serve & protect you. Black On Earth.”
The Packers’ team organization released an official statement saying they were "shocked to see the video that showed police shooting Jacob Blake multiple times in the back. We are hopeful Jacob makes a full recovery, and our thoughts are with his family. While we understand a full investigation of this terrible incident will take place, we are deeply troubled at what again has become a painful example of the significant challenges we face with respect to police brutality, systemic racism and injustices against Black people….”
Last June, Packer players, Black and white, and LaFleur released a video titled “It’s Time for Change” after the police murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, saying, “Enough is enough.”
Jacob Blake
The video made by Green Bay Packer players after the police murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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