National anthem: no agreement between the players and the owners

Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images / Agence France-Presse
The players of the San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid kneel during the national anthem before a match of October 2016.

New York — The team owners of the national League of american football (NFL) and player representatives met Tuesday to address the issue of the anthem, become an issue of high policy in the United States.

“The owners and the players have had a productive meeting focused on the issue of joint working to promote social change and address inequalities within our communities “, explained in a joint press release from the NFL and the players association of the NFL.

These discussions, which lasted four hours, under the aegis of the boss of the NFL, Roger Goodell, have however led to no agreement, but both parties have agreed to ” continue to work together “.

Eleven team owners, including Jerry Jones (Dallas), which has threatened to dismiss any player not respecting the anthem, participated in this meeting. “All those who are part of the family of the NFL have the utmost respect for our country, our flag, our anthem and our army,” they insisted.

Since 2016, at the initiative of Colin Kaerpernick, then quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, NFL players are protesting against social inequality, and police violence against Black people in the United States by placing a knee on the ground or sitting when the anthem rings out before the matches.

The movement, which has made spot oil, has rebounded in recent weeks, especially after the heavy criticism of the us president, Donald Trump.

“If the fans of the NFL refuse to go to matches until players stop disrespecting our flag and our country, you will quickly see a change. Transfer or hang up ! “he thus wrote on Twitter at the end of September, urging” owners to do something “.

Protesters invite to the meeting of the circuit

Of events preceded the opening of the annual meetings for the fall of the NFL. The protesters yelled at the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, talking about white supremacy, while Jones was surrounded by body guards. Jones stopped to listen, but he said nothing, and the protesters have been peacefully repelled. Outside of the hotel, a dozen supporters of the Black Lives Matter New York — an activist movement african-american — have organised a rally aimed at supporting the players who took the floor — in particular, the former quarter back of the 49ers Colin Kaepernick, quin knelt during the national anthem last year to protest against racial injustice in the United States.