Due to the fact that players were wearing pre-game shirts that honored victims of police killings, four off-duty Minneapolis police officers who were providing security for a WNBA Lynx game stepped out in protest. Both the names of Dallas police officers who had passed away in the line of duty and the name of Philando Castile, a man who was killed by police officers while conducting a traffic check, were printed on the black T-shirts. The phrase “Black Lives Matter” was printed on the backs of the shirts.
At the same time that they were discussing the purpose of the shirts, the players brought up their desire to honor those who had passed away and to push for change in the areas of racial profiling and excessive violence. According to the Minneapolis Police Federation, the police asked the players to take off their jerseys, and when the players refused, the cops left the field.
Chief Janee’ Harteau of the Minneapolis Police Department expressed her compassion for the officers’ hardships, but she condemned their actions. She also said that officers are required to keep their oath of office even when they are not on duty. The words made by the president of the police federation were met with a furious response from the Mayor of Minneapolis, Betsy Hodges, who said that the president did not speak for the administration of the city.
In spite of the controversy, the players’ decisions brought to light concerns about racial profiling and violence, as well as divisions regarding the reform of the police force and the responsibilities that sports play in addressing social problems.