Black Lives Matter protest: Fans boo MLS players as they kneel during anthem

A player who knelt during the US national anthem has lashed fans as ‘disgusting’ for their reaction to the players’ stance.

MLS players kneel before the Dallas-Nashville match.

Fans at a Major League Soccer game between FC Dallas and Nashville SC have stunned players by booing them for kneeling during the national anthem before the game.

About 3000 spectators were at Toyota Stadium in Dallas for the resumption of the MLS season. It was the competition’s first game since March.

Boos could be heard as players from both sides took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, sparking a scathing response from FC Dallas defender Reggie Cannon.

I will give #MLS another shot in the "second leg" of Nashville v Dallas. Having a crowd at all, booing of those kneeling, throwing of objects & lack of social distancing got to me. I will for now chalk it up as just a Dallas thing and hope it does not happen again.

— Kartik #WearaMask Krishnaiyer (@kkfla737) August 13, 2020

He attacked the crowd reaction as disgusting. “How disgraceful is that,” Cannon said. “You got fans booing you for people taking a stand for what they believe in.

“Millions of other people support this cause and we discussed with every other team and the league what we’re going to do and we’ve got fans booing us in our own stadium.

“I think it was absolutely disgusting.”

It’s not the first time that Black Lives Matter protests have not gone to plan at a sporting event.

Formula One star Lewis Hamilton recently criticised his sport’s anti-racism stance after a botched effort at a pre-race “taking a knee” ceremony.

Hamilton said he would write to F1 chiefs to urge them to do a better job after some drivers were late to the protest and others decided against taking a knee.

I love Reggie Cannon. Be better fans, be better people. pic.twitter.com/XhKjfxTbst

— Mickey Kennedy (@AMickeyKennedy) August 13, 2020

pic.twitter.com/Cf9DRqYNVq

— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) August 13, 2020

Rugby league and former rugby union star Israel Folau has courted controversy for declining to take a knee during recent pre-game protests.

Folau was at the centre of fresh controversy when he recently opted against taking a knee in a Super League anti-racism protest, a decision backed as a “personal choice” by his coach.

Folau, 31, playing for Catalans Dragons, raised eyebrows at the kick-off against champions St Helens in Leeds when he remained standing while other players and officials dropped to their knees in support of the Black Lives Matter cause.

Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton raises a fist during a Black Lives Matter protest. Picture: AFP

MLS returns

David Accam’s 86th-minute strike lifted Nashville to their first-ever Major League Soccer victory Wednesday, a 1-0 win over FC Dallas.

The league’s first match back in regular-season play came in the wake of the MLS is Back Tournament — which saw clubs competing in a quarantine “bubble” in Florida after the coronavirus pandemic brought play to a halt in March.

FC Dallas and Nashville both missed that event, forced to withdraw after multiple positive COVID-19 test results among players and staff.

Scoring chances were few and far between for the clubs who hadn’t played in five months.

Veteran midfielder Accam came off the bench in the 82nd minute and four minutes later he dribbled through a weary Dallas defence and fired a left-footed shot that skidded past goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer.

Dallas pressed for a late equaliser, but Nashville — playing their inaugural season — held on for the victory.

Nashville head coach Gary Smith wasn’t with the club after a positive COVID-19 test that proved to be a false result.

Although he’s since had two negative tests, Smith was unable to rearrange his travel plans to make it to Dallas, where 2,912 fans were in attendance.

Dallas and Nashville are scheduled to play again on Sunday as they play catch up with the rest of the league, who each counted three MLS is Back tournament matches among their regular season results.

Agencies