Police are on a rampage, meeting protesters with extreme violence following the death of another unarmed Black man who was killed as a result of police brutality. George Floyd was killed by a white officer in Minneapolis who pressed his knees into Floyd’s neck while he relayed that he could not breathe and said: “My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts.” The horrific incident was shared in a viral video sparking outcries and protests nationwide.
In efforts to stand in solidarity with those fighting against this injustice, former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, in connection with his nonprofit, Know Your Rights Camp, has started a Legal Defense Initiative to support protesters in Minneapolis who may need legal resources and help. “In fighting for liberation there‘s always retaliation,” Kaepernick tweeted Friday. The former NFL player also took to Instagram to emphasize the need to protect the country’s “Freedom Fighters.”
The initiative will provide “top defense lawyers” in the Minneapolis area, the non-profit website said. In addition, the webpage also provides resources for protesters. “When there is an injustice within our community, it is our legal right to address it, by any means necessary,” the website stated.
Four years ago, former Kaepernick made headlines for kneeling during the national anthem before a game. While the action was taken by Kaepernick in protest of racial inequality and police brutality, he was labeled as ‘un-American’ and controversial leading to the end of the player’s career. After being released by the San Francisco 49ers that season, Kaepernick was not signed to any other team. Images of him kneeling went viral on social media that year only to resurface this year with a different meaning, to remind Americans of the importance of fighting back following the death of Floyd.
An image of the violence Floyd faced is being shared side by side with the image of Kaepernick’s knee on the football field, reading “this is why.” Within hours the image was shared on social media millions of times, including by athletes such as Lebron James.
As a response to the viral image, Kaepernick shared a statement on social media, “When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction. The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears because your violence has brought resistance. We have the right to fight back! Rest in Power George Floyd.”
Since then other images have made their way across Instagram and Twitter depicting the kneeling of both the white officer and Kaepernick to remind Americans’s the true reality of this country— the consequences of your actions are determined by your race.