The Players’ Coalition, including leaders, supports the “Amash-Pressley” bill to facilitate the prosecution of police officers for acts of violence.
NFL stars Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and NBA coaches Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr are among more than 1,400 American sport leagues calling for an end to police immunity, in a letter to Congress on Wednesday.
The Players’ Coalition, which also includes leaders, says it supports the “Amash-Pressley” bill, presented this Thursday by members of the US House of Representatives, Justin Amash from Michigan and Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, and aimed in particular at facilitating the prosecution of the police for their acts of violence.
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This bill seeks to end the “Qualified Immunity Act”, seen as a loophole allowing police and government officials to avoid being tried in federal court. “We are tired of the fruitless discussions on police accountability and have taken part in too much debate to determine whether there is a problem of police violence in this country,” said the athletes.
“There is a problem. The world witnessed it when the police officer Chauvin murdered George Floyd and the world continues to observe this problem now that the police are deploying a huge presence in front of peaceful protesters like those who stood outside the White House last week, “they said. “The time for debating the uncontrolled police authority is over. Now is the time for change.”
L’initiative de LeBron James
Baseball (MLB) stars Giancarlo Stanton, Matt Kemp, American football (NFL) Odell Beckham Jr., or basketball (NBA) JJ Redick are among the other signatories. The initiative of the American sports world comes more than two weeks after the death of George Floyd following his arrest on May 25 in Minneapolis, during which a police officer rested with his knee on his neck for almost nine minutes. Since then, protests against racial injustice have taken place across the country and around the world.
The Players Coalition originated in 2016, when five NFL players spoke to American lawmakers about racial inequality and a necessary criminal justice reform. “Now is the time to be accountable and call to action,” said New Orleans Saints player Demario Davis. “This letter to Congress is the first step we are taking at the national level. We hope that this letter and the bill it supports will send a signal to the Supreme Court and understand that we need a better justice system, “he said.
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In addition, basketball star LeBron James announced on Wednesday the creation with other sportsmen of an association to promote the vote of black Americans in the run-up to the presidential election, while the country is experiencing a major movement against racial discrimination.
The association called “More Than a Vote” aims to encourage African-Americans to register on the electoral roll and to go to the polls en masse during the November 3 election. It also aims to combat anything that could hamper the voting capacity of black voters.
“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we also want to give you a tutorial to do it,” said the NBA star. “We will explain to you how to vote and we will point out what they are doing, on the other side, to prevent you from voting,” added James to the New York Times.
Financed personally by the “King James”, the association will count among its members other sportsmen, such as basketball players Trae Young and Jalen Rose, the American football player Alvin Kamara or celebrities like the actor Kevin Hart, present at the tribute ceremony for George Floyd in Minneapolis in early June.
