Protests continue at football game

DeKALB | Black Lives Matter protesters raised their fists high and refused to stand during the national anthem at the football game 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Huskie Stadium.

In the bleachers, football game attendees stood and sang “The Star Spangled Banner,” but the protesters remained silent and displayed the Pan-African flag.

The protest was planned about a month prior to the game by an unspecified group of students.

Jaylan Orute, senior public health major and participant in the demonstration, said the protest was open to all members of the campus community.

Orute said the students planned the demonstration to come together as a community and be heard across campus and the nation.

They displayed cardboard signs reading statements such as “Black Lives Matter” and “Why does my blackness scare you?” Participants also wore black clothes.

Once the national anthem concluded, the students began to chant, “black lives matter.” Some protesters stood and danced in celebration of the movement.

“[Black Lives Matter] shows our unity and significance of our lives,” said Brandon Rhodes, junior industrial management technology major. “We can stand together strong.”

Sitting or kneeling during the national anthem became a controversial form of silent protest against police brutality after Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, gained national attention for sitting — which was amended to kneeling — at the 49ers third preseason game on Aug. 26.

Junior biology major Tatyana Eseer participated in the demonstration. She said she enjoyed being a part of the protest and believed it showed the participants’ unity on campus.

“A lot of people on this campus don’t see us as a [community] enough, and that was a good instance to see us all as one,” Eseer said.

NIU Police knew the demonstration was going to occur before game day. Don Rodman, NIU Police commander of operations, said he didn’t expect any incidents to occur, so he didn’t increase police presence.

No incidents were reported, Rodman said.

The protest was peaceful although some attendees were annoyed. Three students sitting together who did not want to disclose their identities opposed the protest.

One member of the group said he believed the protests on campus leading up to the game were creating more separation in the country when they should be trying to bring more people together. Another member said the protests were going too far, and he didn’t find the protests necessary.

“I think [demonstrators] are blaming law enforcement for their problems when their problems are within their own communities,” said one of the opposed students.

Chris Ohr, attendee of the game and grandparent of a freshman student, said she shared some of the demonstrators’ concerns about racism, and although she may not agree with that particular form of protest, she supports free speech.

“I think [demonstrators] have the right to express themselves the way they want to express themselves,” Ohr said. “It may not be to my liking, but that’s why we live in this country. We can express ourselves.”

Following the demonstration, protesters proceeded to watch the game.

“We’re going to enjoy the football game and watch NIU [try to] take this ‘W’,” Orute said.