SOLDIER FIELD — Gold Star families and veterans are calling for 49ers Colin Kaepernick to stand for the national anthem when he plays Sunday at Soldier Field.
Kaepernick has not stood for the national anthem before games this season, saying he was protesting the oppression of people of color in the United States. But Soldier Field is a memorial to men and women lost in combat, said former Ald. Jim Balcer, and Kaepernick's protest would be inappropriate at the stadium.
Balcer urges Kaepernick to stand for anthem or stay inside locker room while it is performed. pic.twitter.com/eC2ZcTmboV
— Kelly Bauer (@BauerJournalism) December 3, 2016
Instead, Kaepernick should stand for the anthem or stay in his team's locker room while it is performed, said Balcer at a Saturday news conference at the Chicago Police Memorial east of Soldier Field. He was joined by military, police and fire veterans; Gold Star families and police union President Dean Angelo.
"This is not the place to perform that type of disrespectful act," Angelo said. "Not in this building. This is not just some other stadium."
The news conference featured a color guard team marching with an American flag, a performance of the national anthem, a recital of the pledge of allegiance, a moment of silence for the people killed in the bombing of Pearl Harbor and, at the end, a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial.
Another group that spoke before Balcer's news conference said they supported Kaepernick's decision not to stand for the anthem and called on others to join them in showing support for Kaepernick on Sunday at Soldier Field.
"We call on all players on the 49ers and Bears and in the whole NFL and all the fans with a shred of justice in their hearts to act on their conscience and show support for Colin by refusing to stand up for the national anthem," said a woman as two men stood behind her carrying a banner with photos of police-shooting victims on it.
People should resist "enforced patriotism and fascism," particularly in light of President-elect Donald Trump's election victory and the protests in Mt. Greenwood that led to racial slurs being used against black activists, the woman said.
"We cannot allow them to enforce patriotism under threat of intimidation and violence," the woman said. "We can't allow them to muzzle criticism of police."
Pro-Kaepernick group calls for supporters to come to Soldier Field on Sunday to support 49ers QB. pic.twitter.com/WLtN6xCXOt
— Kelly Bauer (@BauerJournalism) December 3, 2016
Speaking at Balcer's news conference later, veteran Jim Frazier said he respected Kaepernick's freedom of speech but said disrespect shown to the American flag and national anthem hurts people. Frazier's son, Staff Sgt. Jacob Frazier, was killed in Afghanistan in 2003.
"He can protest all he wants, and honestly I'm not sure what he's protesting for," Frazier said. "But at $19 million per year, I think that he could probably put his mouth and his money to better use instead of just kneeling and disrespecting the flag.
"My son came home with that flag draped on his coffin, and it does hurt when someone disrespects it."
Earlier this year, Balcher pushed for an ordinance requiring everyone to observe the national anthem.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.
