One Greenville restaurant won't be playing any more NFL games on its televisions until all players stand during the national anthem.
David McCraw, owner of Palmetto Restaurant and Ale House, posted the announcement on the restaurant Facebook page on Sunday, saying it is a position he is going to take and he hopes people will support him.
Dozens of players across the league knelt during the national anthem ahead of Sunday's games; others stood with arms linked as a show of unity. The protests, which date back to 2016 when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling as a sign of protest against police brutality and social injustice, were reignited by comments made by President Donald Trump in Alabama on Friday. Kaepernick's movement grew to include a handful of other players in the months following his initial protest. Sunday's protests were the largest so far.
President Donald Trump addressed the kneeling protests in a series of tweets calling the movement disrespectful, though he did commend those who stood with arms interlocked.
Great solidarity for our National Anthem and for our Country. Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable. Bad ratings!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017
Sports fans should never condone players that do not stand proud for their National Anthem or their Country. NFL should change policy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017
Kaepernick, who is currently not signed to an NFL team, also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations that support the causes for which he stands.
