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Formula One: Lewis Hamilton supports NFL national anthem protesters

By Asher Fair

SINGAPORE - SEPTEMBER 15: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP walks in the Paddock before practice for the Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 15, 2017 in Singapore. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
SINGAPORE - SEPTEMBER 15: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP walks in the Paddock before practice for the Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 15, 2017 in Singapore. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
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Three-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton made it known that he supports the NFL players who have protested the national anthem.

In response to President Donald Trump’s comments against national anthem protesters at a rally last Friday, more NFL players than had ever protested the anthem before took part in anthem protests this past Sunday.

And in response to the huge amount of national anthem protesters among NFL players this weekend, several prominent athletes in the racing world have spoken out, including Richard Petty, Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Three-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is the latest driver to voice his opinion on the protests.

Unlike the opinions of many of those in the NASCAR world, minus Dale Earnhardt Jr., of course, Lewis Hamilton, a British driver who has spoken out against President Trump before, voiced his support for the anthem protesters by posting two photos on Instagram, one on Sunday and one on Monday.

The photo he posted on Sunday depicts Martin Luther King Jr., a major civil rights activist, taking a knee.

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The image he posted the following day actually contains two images. The image on the left depicts a list of black people killed by police, after which there were never any convictions, and the image on the right depicts Colin Kaepernick, the first NFL national anthem protester who began protesting the anthem in the 2016 NFL preseason in an attempt to bring awareness to police brutality and racial injustice.

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Based on these two images and Hamilton’s captions to the images, it is extremely clear where he stands on the issue of the national anthem protests. He feels that these NFL players, and anybody for that matter, have the right to protest and stand up for their beliefs despite the fact that this particular protest is seen by many as disrespectful to the United States and its flag.

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