Death threats only prove my point, says anthem protest footballer Kaepernick

NFL star Colin Kaepernick says he has received death threats after sitting refusing to stand during the national anthem before games. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback, who was protesting against perceived racial oppression and police brutality in the US, said the threats came through social media and “a couple of different avenues”. However, he the 29-year-old shrugged them off, saying he had not even bothered to report them to the club’s security officials. Instead, he told reporters: “To me, if something like that was going to happen, you’ve proved my point. It would be loud and clear for everyone why it happened. That would move this movement forward at a greater speed than what it is even now.”

I think other people are picking up on the protest and speaking out about it, from high school to activists to pro athletes. I think it’s huge

Colin Kaepernick on how the protest has spread

Before the Niners past three games Kaepernick has kneeled during the playing of Star Spangled Banner to show respect for military veterans. Several NFL players have joined Kaepernick in his protest, which has spread to other sports and even into schools. Despite the gesture he said he was the subject of racial slurs and other insults before last Sunday’s game at Carolina. “There’s a lot of racism in this country disguised as patriotism and people want to take everything back to the flag,” he said. “But that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about racial discrimination, inequalities and injustices that happen across the nation.”

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