Photo by Fibonacci Blue.

Photo by Fibonacci Blue.

Yesterday was a rough day for the Washington football team. Not only did they narrowly lose to the Minnesota Vikings 26-29, but two of the team’s buses were involved in an accident on the way to University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium. But perhaps the biggest news to come out of Minneapolis was the massive protest against the team’s name and logo prior to the game.

The Post reports that thousands of Native Americans, activists, students, and others gathered outside TCF Bank Stadium in protest of the team’s name. Organizers estimated around 5,000 people taking part of yesterday’s protest, but the University of Minnesota police puts the estimated attendance between 3,500 and 4,000 people. Either way, it’s one of the largest organized protests against the team’s name.

Among the speakers at yesterday’s protest was Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN4), Oneida Nation spokesperson Ray Halbritter, Navajo activist Amanda Blackhorse, and dozens of others who spoke about being negatively affected by the team’s name.

Though there was tension between protesters and Washington fans attending the game, the Post reports that it was a largely peaceful rally:

The interactions between protesters and [Washington] fans never turned violent, but they were often tense and sometimes profane.

Samuel Wounded Knee, 35, a Crow Creek Sioux with square shoulders and long dark hair, carried a sign that read “Wake Up Snyder” and confronted nearly every [Washington] fan he saw, cursing at one who cut through the rally and taunted protesters.

“We don’t want to be your mascot,” he yelled. “My son doesn’t want to be your mascot.”

Filed Under: Minnesota vikings, oneida indian nation, washington football team, washington football team name change controversy, washington football team protest,