Reds, Brewers players not playing tonight in protest

The players for the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers have chosen to not play tonight, per multiple reports, in a gesture of protest in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 23, 2020. Blake was shot from behind seven times by police as he attempted to enter his vehicle, and is reportedly paralyzed from the waist down.

The decision by the Reds and Brewers players comes on the heels of the Milwaukee Bucks choosing not to play in tonight’s Game 5 of their first round series against the Orlando Magic. There are reports that players on other teams are considering sitting out in protest, as well.

Athletes in recent years have moved to the forefront in regards to efforts to bring attention to racial inequalities in the criminal justice system, starting with San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s to kneel during the national anthem in 2016 in protest of the treatment of African Americans by law enforcement. Kaepernick’s career came to an end because of those protests, but other athletes have taken up the mantle and have worked to draw attention to the cause.

UPDATE — The NBA has postponed all three of tonight’s scheduled games.