On Sunday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started his first game since he began taking a knee in protest of police brutality and racial injustice during the national anthem in August.
Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy asked Bills fans this week to be “respectful” and “professional” towards Kaepernick on game day, but it seems that not all fans heeded his advice.
Outside of Ralph Wilson stadium, t-shirts were on sale that depicted a rifle scope aimed at Kaepernick. Other shirts for sale read, “Shut Up and Stand Up! Kaeperndick,” or “Hey Colin … While You’re Down There.”
Shirts with a rifle scope trained on Colin Kaepernick selling for $10 outside of Ralph Wilson stadium. pic.twitter.com/bSuxF3G5qq
— Robert Klemko (@RobertKlemko) October 16, 2016
White privilege as fandom in this crude $5 #Kaepernick tshirt at #BuffaloBills tailgate #nfl #blacklivesmatter #nfl #49ers #bills pic.twitter.com/rUpWJgJBsl
— Patrick McCurdy (@pmmcc) October 16, 2016
Monday Morning Quarterback reporter Robert Klemko was on the scene in Buffalo, and shared videos on social media of Bills fans tackling a dummy dressed like Kaepernick.
Here's a very drunk Bills fan spearing a dummy with Kaepernick jersey and afro wig. pic.twitter.com/PDo0NL2Pcp
— Robert Klemko (@RobertKlemko) October 16, 2016
Bills fans scream "tackle the Muslim", then a young lady obliges. pic.twitter.com/A1eKcyWT87
— Robert Klemko (@RobertKlemko) October 16, 2016
The reaction wasn’t all negative, though. Many Bills fans offered their support to Kaepernick. One group that was unable to secure tickets for the game even traveled to the game and paid for parking just so they could kneel near the stadium when the anthem played.
“We’re still Bills fans,” Caitlin Blue, one of the organizers, told USA Today. “We just recognize the NFL uses black and brown bodies for entertainment, as long as they don’t have opinions.”
While Kaepernick’s critics have been very loud over the past few weeks, the quarterback hasn’t wavered in his stance.
“What I’m doing is trying to stand up for people who don’t have a voice, whose voices aren’t being heard, aren’t being listened to, aren’t being respected as human beings,” Kaepernick told Buffalo reporters earlier this week.
“So at the end of the day, I know what I’m doing is right and I’m doing it for the right reasons, so whatever the reaction or backlash or any of those things are, I feel comfortable with because I know what I’m doing is right.”
In less than two months, Kaepernick ‘s protest has spread to other NFL teams, the NBA, the WNBA, and the NWSL, as well as colleges, high schools, and youth teams across the country.
