The Las Vegas Raiders are facing backlash over a tweet following the Derek Chauvin trial verdict. The former police officer was convicted of second degree accidental murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.
Shortly after the verdict was read, the Raiders tweeted the words “I can breathe,” followed by the date. Team owner Mark Davis took responsibility for the origin of the tweet, KLAS, affiliated with CBS Las Vegas, reports.
Davis said he was inspired by Floyd’s brother Philonise, who said something similar on Tuesday. “Now we can breathe again, because justice for George means freedom for everyone,” said Philonise.
The tweet was met with a quick response, with Lebron James and others expressing their displeasure.
Many felt that the words “I can breathe” were insensitive. Floyd, 46, was heard saying “I can’t breathe” as Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020, eventually killing him.
“I can’t breathe” was also used as a rallying cry during protests in the wake of Eric Garner’s death of a chokehold managed by a New York City police officer in 2014. “I Can Breathe” was used as a slogan for pro-police demonstrations at the time.
In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Davis said he would only apologize if he insulted Floyd’s family. “It’s rare for me to comment on anything,” Davis told the paper, “and if I thought it offended the family, I would feel very bad and apologize. Furthermore, I do not apologize. Philonise, this is a day when we can all breathe. ”
The National Football League faced a similar reaction on Tuesday after issuing a statement many considered tone-deaf in the wake of the Chauvin verdict for the league’s treatment of players who have protested police brutality in the past.
Colin Kaepernick, who first led kneeling protests during the 2016 National Anthem to call attention to police brutality and racial injustice, remains unsigned despite a record for a Super Bowl appearance with the San Francisco 49ers. In a statement last year, Kaepernick called out the NFL for “blackballing” security Eric Reid, who joined Kaepernick to protest police brutality but has yet to be signed by a team.