SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ Rams wide receiver Kenny Britt and defensive end Robert Quinn held their right fists in the air during the national anthem Monday night, in apparent solidarity with San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who knelt along with teammate Eric Reid on the 49ers sideline.
Kaepernick has refused to stand for the anthem since the beginning of the exhibition season in protest of what he deems is a history of racial oppression in the country.
"It brings awareness," Kaepernick recently told reporters. "Everybody knows what's going on, and this sheds more light on it. Now, I think people are really talking about it."
Britt was one of five players, including current wide receiver Tavon Austin, who entered the field before a game in St. Louis in 2014 with their hands in the air in "don't shoot" poses, a show of support for protesters in Ferguson, Mo., where an unarmed black teenager was shot by a white police officer in August 2014.
The Rams experienced a backlash from that protest, with the St. Louis Police Officers Association complaining that the gesture was "tasteless, offensive and inflammatory," and some fans threatening to cancel their season tickets.
Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff said before the game that he was unaware of any planned protests. "We want to help the players best express themselves so they get their point across and the people understand and respect their viewpoint," Demoff said. "Your goal is always that your team acts together."
Kaepernick came into the game Monday with about two minutes left and was loudly booed.
