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The unacceptable treatment of Michael Bennett

September 12, 2017 — by

Note: This article features language which some readers may find offensive

Michael Bennett continued his protest against prejudice and social injustice in America at Lambeau Field on Sunday night. The Seattle Seahawks defensive end continued to draw attention to a cause which former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and campaigner for social justice Colin Kaepernick began protesting before games last season. NFL players have been sitting or kneeling during the playing of the national anthem before matches since then, in order to draw attention to perceived injustices in the legal and policing systems, as well as the systemic racism they believe pervades American society.

Image Credit: Sporting News

Image Credit: Sporting News

Kaepernick’s protest gained support from a host of his colleagues within the league, leading to protests during last season and, after the election of President Trump, those protests have continued into the new season. Whilst Kaepernick no longer has a job in the league, to the consternation of many NFL followers who believe his protests have led to his forced exile in the prime of his career, other players have been able to continue to demonstrate that there are issues with the way black people and people of colour are treated in American society.

Last week, Bennett accused police in Las Vegas of racial profiling and an unnecessary use of force when he was pinned to the floor after the Conor McGregor – Floyd Mayweather fight. You can read his account here:

This was met with what has become an all-too-familiar response to players who protest the anthem: abuse, threats, and accusations of unpatriotic behaviour. Knowing that a protest was likely on Sunday night, we decided to collect all the Twitter activity surrounding Michael Bennett to see what people were saying about him and the overall mood of Twitter users when discussing his protest.

As you can see from the emotion donut below, anger is one of the most commonly expressed emotions. 36% of posts registered anger, some of which was aimed at the system which Bennett was protesting but most of which was aimed at the player himself. This, combined with 14% disgust which was almost exclusively aimed at Bennett, means that over 50% of users who tweeted about Bennett were demonstrating their opposition to his protest and to him as a person.

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Many users tagged Bennett or his brother, Green Bay Packers tight end Martellus, in the tweets, making it impossible for them to avoid the insults and accusations. Michael Bennett is an active user of Twitter (handle: @mosesbread72) and one of the most well known activists in the NFL, using his high profile to attempt to change the system. Here’s what some Twitter users had to say about his protest and activism:

These are just some select tweets to or about the Bennett brothers, for nothing more than identifying a problem with society and peacefully demonstrating that they want things to change. Whilst the brothers did receive support from Twitter users, the number of vocal opposers to their right to free speech indicates how necessary their protests are. 38 users said they would be boycotting the NFL, a further 129 suggested Bennett was lying about his treatment and 34 claimed he was playing the race card and trying to stir up race riots.

Social media’s reaction to the actions of Bennett and other campaigners reveal an intriguing dynamic at work in society at large which demonstrates the strength of Twitter as a platform for debate, as well as providing a reminder that it can be used both negatively and positively.

To use Blurrt’s social media analysis to research stories such as this, contact Ali at alistair@blurrt.co.uk