US Women's Soccer Team Makes Major 'Black Lives Matter' Move While Kneeling for Anthem
The U.S. women’s soccer team wore “Black Lives Matter” warm-up gear Friday before most of the team knelt in protest during the national anthem prior to a match against the Netherlands at Rat Verlegh Stadium in the city of Breda.
The team’s Twitter account claimed the pregame attire was designed to “affirm human decency.”
“This is not political, it’s a statement on human rights,” it said.
We wear Black Lives Matter to affirm human decency. This is not political, it’s a statement on human rights. pic.twitter.com/QHDAx4iv7k
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) November 27, 2020
USWNT member Crystal Dunn tweeted a statement explaining the team’s rationale.
“We love our country, and it is a true honor to represent America. It is also our duty to demand that the liberties and freedoms that our country was founded on extend to everyone,” the statement read.
“Today, we wear Black Lives Matter to affirm human decency. We protest against racial injustice and police brutality against Black people. We protest against the racist infrastructures that do not provide equal opportunity for black and brown people to fulfill their dreams, including playing on this team,” it said.
“As the United States Women’s National team players, we collectively work toward a society where the American ideas are upheld, and Black lives are no longer systematically targeted. Black Lives Matter.”
— Crystal Dunn Soubrier (@crysdunn_19) November 27, 2020
The national team continued to show disdain for its home country during the national anthem, when many of the players took a knee on foreign soil.
USWNT taking the knee during the national anthem (ESPN did not show it) pic.twitter.com/CKzYfiQeWU
— Hedonist (@The_Hedonist_6) November 27, 2020
— Hedonist (@The_Hedonist_6) November 27, 2020
Many on Twitter fumed at the display.
Thank you so much for letting me know! I can now make sure my family no longer supports the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team. BLM is a terrorist organization. Shame on you. ALL lives matter. Bye!!
— Tracelu (@TracyCrowley03) November 27, 2020
I guess it’s time to stop watching and support the US Women’s soccer team!
If you’re going to protest the national anthem and support BLM, you should be removed from the team! World sports especially, exist to put differences aside! Where’s Jesse Owen’s family to protest them!!— Robert (@Robert41746713) November 27, 2020
US women’s soccer team shows support for Black Lives Matter in first match in over 200 days https://t.co/9PLoswSRmu #FoxNews These pseudo women may be winners in soccer, but they sure as hell are losers in the morality game.
— Doracle Oracle (@DoracleOracle) November 27, 2020
No other organization on earth is as inclusive and non racial as sports but the US Soccer WNT wants to use their sport to devide us. At one time I was excited about women’s soccer in the USA but no more.
— JB (@outdoorjb77) November 27, 2020
It is political And literally everyone agrees that black lives matter. No one has a problem with that. It would be nice to just watch a sporting event without politics.
— Laban Sam DeFriese (@Laban_Defriese) November 27, 2020
The U.S. team won the match 2-0. The friendly was a rematch of the 2019 World Cup finals, also won 2-0 by the United States.
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