NFL star Colin Kaepernick gets Amnesty award for kneeling protest
The player took a knee during the US national anthem in 2016 - a protest of racial injustice that drew the ire of Donald Trump.
Saturday 21 April 2018 20:04, UK
Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been honoured by Amnesty International for his kneeling protest against police brutality.聽
The onetime San Francisco 49ers star took a knee during the pre-game US national anthem in 2016, prompting widespread discussion about the use of lethal force on African-Americans by police officers.
Kaepernick was given the Ambassador of Conscience Award 2018 at an awards ceremony for the human rights organisation in Amsterdam.
"In truth, this is an award that I share with all of the countless people throughout the world combating the human rights violations of police officers, and their uses of oppressive and excessive force," he said.
He described police killings of African-Americans and Latinos in the US as "lawful lynching".
Previous recipients of the award include former South African President Nelson Mandela and female education campaigner Malala Yousafzai.
The award is handed each year to a person or organisation "dedicated to fighting injustice and using their talents to inspire others".
Kaepernick inspired other players across the NFL to join him in protest after his actions.
As a result, the NFL agreed to spend $90m (£64m) on social justice causes over the next seven years.
However, not everyone agreed with the protests - President Donald Trump called for those involved to be fired and some fans and players reacted with outrage.
The 30-year-old NFL star was not signed for the 2017 season, which some have argued is because teams are "punishing" him for expressing political views.
Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty described Kaepernick as "an athlete who is now widely recognised for his activism because of his refusal to ignore or accept racial discrimination."