Before trotting onto the field for their pregame introductions Sunday, five
"I just think there has to be a change," tight end
Coach
Wide receivers
Some witnesses said
A grand jury decided last week not to indict Wilson for killing Brown, a decision that led to sometimes-violent protests in St. Louis suburb and nationwide. Wilson resigned from the police force Saturday.
"I don't want the people in the community to feel like we turned a blind eye" to Brown's death and its aftermath, Britt said. "What would I like to see happen? Change in America."
The St. Louis Police Officers Assn. bristled at the "hands up" move, saying in a statement Sunday night that it was "tasteless, offensive and inflammatory."
The players should be disciplined, and the Rams and
"Now that the evidence is in and Officer Wilson's account has been verified by physical and ballistic evidence as well as eyewitness testimony, which led the grand jury to conclude that no probable cause existed that Wilson engaged in any wrongdoing, it is unthinkable that hometown athletes would so publicly perpetuate a narrative that has been disproven over and over again," association business manager Jeff Roorda said in the statement.
Evidence presented to the grand jury was full of contradictory information. It is still unclear exactly how the confrontation between Wilson and Brown unfolded.
"I know that there are those that will say that these players are simply exercising their 1st Amendment rights," Roorda said in the statement. "Well I've got news for people who think that way, cops have 1st Amendment rights too, and we plan to exercise ours. I'd remind the NFL and their players that it is not the violent thugs burning down buildings that buy their advertiser's products. It's cops and the good people of St. Louis and other NFL towns that do."
During Sunday's game, after Tre Mason scored on an 8-yard run to make it 45-0 in the fourth quarter, he and Britt raised their hands together.
The protests "touched a lot of us. It added fuel to our fire," Mason said.
Cook said players have been too busy to go to Ferguson, plus "it's kind of dangerous down there and none of us want to get caught up in anything."
"It takes some guts, it takes some heart, so I admire the people around the world that have been doing it," he added.
About 75 protesters gathered across the street from the stadium during the game's second half as about 30 police wearing riot gear watched from a distance. Protesters chanted "Hands up, don't shoot!" ''No justice, no football!" ''This is what democracy looks like," and "We're here for Mike Brown."
James Weaver of St. Louis was among the protesters outside the stadium and argued with two fans leaving. They were separated by police.
"People don't understand what this is about," Weaver said. "This is about a young man lying on the street for four hours. People are mad."
The
Times staff writer Lauren Raab contributed to this report.
