To kick off their first home game since the Grand Jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, five St. Louis Rams players emerged onto the field on Sunday holding the “hands up, don’t shoot” pose in solidarity with Ferguson protesters, many of whom had gathered outside the stadium. Receivers Jared Cook, Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, and Chris Given walked onto the field holding the pose before joining the rest of their team.
Now the St. Louis Police Officers Association is predictably pissed at the actions of the Rams players, and is demanding both a public apology from them and official disciplinary action from the NFL. It released a statement Sunday condemning the players’ actions:
The St. Louis Police Officers Association is profoundly disappointed with the members of the St. Louis Rams football team who chose to ignore the mountains of evidence released from the St. Louis County Grand Jury this week and engage in a display that police officers around the nation found tasteless, offensive and inflammatory.
It continues from there, sounding more and more like a disappointed, vaguely racist mother, with the St. Louis Police Officers Association business manager even unself-consciously using the word thugs to describe the protesters. Some things never change!
