St. Louis Rams Come Out with 'Hands Up, Don't Shoot' Salute

by joelal

Community

(This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014 Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014 at 4:09:06pm PST

Nov 30, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey (12) and wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) and tight end Jared Cook (89) and wide receiver Chris Givens (13) and wide receiver Kenny Britt (81) put their hands up to show support for Michael Brown before a game against the Oakland Raiders at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-180382 ORIG FILE ID:  20141130_gma_ac1_056.jpg

While taking the field today to play the Oakland Raiders, several St. Louis Rams players decided to mimic the 'Hands Up, Don't Shoot' gesture used by many protesters since the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in nearby Ferguson, Mo. in August.

Despite winning the game, 52-0, the Rams find themselves at the receiving end of fury from many in the fan base as evidenced by some of the comments posted at their Facebook page. This could be the most significant political statement made at a major sporting event since the 'Black Power' salute at the 1968 Sumner Olympics.

8:21 PM PT: UPDATE: The St. Louis Police Officer's Association is now condemning the display. Things could get ugly.