DAVIE, Fla – The union that oversees local Broward County sheriff's deputies has asked its members to refuse security detail for the Miami Dolphins due to the team's four players who kneeled during the national anthem before the team's season opener in Seattle.
Arian Foster, Jelani Jenkins, Kenny Stills and Michael Thomas joined a handful of NFL players that have kneeled before games to protest institutional racism and police brutality.
Recommended Videos
While not supporting the protest itself, the Dolphins supported the players right to protest as they did.
The Local I.U.P.A. 6020 of the Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association is calling on all officers to stop escorting the Dolphins.
Jeff Bell, president of the union, called for the boycott.
"I can not fathom why the Miami Dolphin organization and the NFL would allow the blatant disrespect of the American Flag and what it stands for during the national anthem," Bell said in a statement. "It is a privilege to play in the NFL, not a given constitutional right."
The union says its members provide full police escorts to the team's players, staff and family on a regular basis, including blocking intersections during peak traffic times.
"We no longer support an organization that values financial profit over a minimum conduct standard," Bell added.
The union says it will not punish members who choose to continue to escort the team.