SEATTLE -- Doug Baldwin announced Saturday that the Seahawks plan to stand and interlock arms during the national anthem at their game against the Miami Dolphins on September 11.
The wide receiver made the announcement in a video on Twitter.
“We are a team comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds. And as a team, we have chosen to stand and interlock arms in unity. We honor those who have fought for the freedom we cherish. And we stand to insure the riches of freedom and the security of justice for all people. Progress can and will be made only if we stand together,” Baldwin said in the video.
Martin Luther King Jr. once famously said “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”#BuildABridge pic.twitter.com/n1qP5c2RGM
— Doug Baldwin Jr (@DougBaldwinJr) September 10, 2016
The demonstration comes as several athletes have followed the lead of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who first sat, then later kneeled during the anthem before preseason games. Kaepernick says he did it as a silent protest against injustice.
Actor Chris Pratt tweeted his support for the Seahawks on Sunday morning: "Today I will stand united with the Seahawks to #buildAbridge I challenge you to stand and link arms during the national anthem today."
Today I will stand united with the Seahawks to #buildAbridge I challenge you to stand and link arms during the national anthem today. #12s
— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) September 11, 2016
Fans have expressed outrage on social media about any kind of protest or demonstration during the anthem. The Mayor of DuPont postponed a city-sponsored Seahawks rally due to the expected demonstration.
