BriefTea
Every story in sixty words
Get the free app no ads · no paywallExplained in plain English
Anthem protests have a long history, often used to highlight social or political issues. Perhaps the most famous was in 1968 when American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists at the Mexico City Olympics. More recently, footballers like Colin Kaepernick have knelt during anthems to protest racial injustice, similar to the Ireland team's silent protest.
Stories that explain this
Israel captain says his country is "10 times better" than IrelandQuestions this opens up
What was Kaepernick protesting? What did the 1968 Olympians protest? Do other sports protest anthems?Related explainers
Why protest during an anthem? Is it allowed in international sport? Are international matches always political? What is the Nations League for? Can players really be banned for talking? What are anti-migrant protests? What happened after WW2? What happened in 1977?The full catalogue
Browse every card filed under O →We would like to count visits and see which links bring readers here. That means storing a random ID in your browser. No cookies, no ads, no profile. How it works.