ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Mike Ditka is speaking out against a “hands up, don’t shoot” display by St. Louis Rams players related to protests in Ferguson, Missouri.
“I’m embarrassed for the players more than anything,”
Ditka told the Chicago Sun-Times. “They want to take a political stand on this? Well, there are a lot of other things that have happened in our society that people have not stood up and disagreed about.
“I wasn’t in Ferguson. I don’t know exactly what happened. But I know one thing: If we dismantle and limit the power of our policemen any more than we have already, then we’re going to have a lot of problems in this country.”
The “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture has been used by protesters in Ferguson after a grand jury decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown.
The St. Louis Police Officer’s Association asked the NFL to discipline the players, but the league declined to take action.
Ditka said he didn’t understand the reaction of protesters to the grand jury’s decision. "The shame of it is, I’m not sure they care about Michael Brown or anything else. This was a reason to protest and to go out and loot. Is this the way to celebrate the memory of Michael Brown? Is this an excuse to be lawless? Somebody has to tell me that. I don’t understand it."
Twitter users were upset by the comments.
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