Michael Bennett and his brother Martellus had the privilege of playing against each other in Week 1 of the NFL regular season, and both players took part in a political demonstration during the playing of the national anthem.
Michael, who recently said he was a victim of racism and police brutality in Las Vegas, chose to sit while “The Star-Spangled Banner” was performed. Martellus stood with his right fist held in the air.
A photo of #Packers TE Martellus Bennett #80 with his fist up in what looks like a black glove. His brother Michael #72 sat down. #SEAvGB pic.twitter.com/9Z5jV3iBGA
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) September 10, 2017
Martellus Bennett has never taken a knee or sat during the national anthem, but his older brother kneeled during the anthem before preseason games and vowed to continue doing it during the regular season.
As of now, Michael says he is planning to file a civil rights lawsuit against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. He claims an officer threatened to shoot him in the head and singled him out because of the color of his skin, though Las Vegas police have accused him of lying and insist their officers followed protocol in a potentially dangerous situation.
