On Friday, the Santa Clara police union sent a letter to San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York threatening to stop working home games at Levi's Stadium unless the team addresses Colin Kaepernick's "inappropriate workplace behavior."
"I'm already hearing it this week that next week on Monday Night Football, some officers are not going to work," said Frank Saunders, president of the Santa Clara Police Officers Association, told Ian Cull of NBC Bay Area. The 49ers will open the 2016 campaign at home on Monday, Sept. 12 against the Los Angeles Rams.
During the preseason, Kaepernick has remained seated during the playing of the national anthem because he cannot "stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color." His actions have caused a firestorm of reactions, among those in the NFL community, Niners fans, and even GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Kaep fanned the flames this past week when it was discovered that the 49ers quarterback has been wearing socks depicting cops as pigs throughout training camp. While the 28-year-old has not shied away from addressing the matter at press conferences and promises to donate $1 million towards charities that will better the community, he still has (and will continue to have) his fair share of detractors.
The 49ers have supported Kaepernick's decision, citing his right as "an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem." Given this latest threat from the Santa Clara police union, who knows if they will continue to back him. Back in July, four off-duty Minneapolis police officers walked out after four Minnesota Lynx players wore "Black Lives Matter" shirts. They returned to their job less than a week later.
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