Protesters Champion ‘Black Lives Matter’ at Monday Night Football Game

The energy fueling the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, made a brief appearance on primetime television Monday night.

Those in attendance at the famed Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis had the late Michael Brown, 18, on their minds as protesters briefly hung a banner which showed prominently during the second half of the Rams versus the San Francisco 49ers.

The banner read, “Rams fans know on and off the field black lives matter,” which sprawled over the top of a jumbo video board in the north end zone of the field. Minutes later, three-dozen protesters marched with their hands raised in an aisle just below the upper deck in the south end zone. Seemingly a coordinated event, roughly five police officers followed the latter group as a safety precaution.

All the protesting stems from the August shooting death of Brown, an unarmed black teen, by a white Ferguson police officer named Darren Wilson. As part of a host of demonstrations taking place during “Moral Monday,” which counted Dr. Cornel West as one of its supporters, protesters engaged in acts of civil disobedience that resulted in more than 50 arrests.

The incident during the NFL’s Monday night game is the second major St. Louis sporting event where protesters have gathered. Last week, they were outside of the St. Louis Cardinals’ playoff game and encountered pushback from fans who chanted “Let’s Go Darren.”

SOURCE: The Washington Post