The Miami Heat joined the Boston Celtics in releasing a joint statement on the violent riots in Washington D.C. after a mob of angry supporters of president Donald Trump stormed the Senate in an effort to prevent the certification of President-Elect Joe Biden.
The two teams, which play one another tonight in the Heat’s home arena in a rematch of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, clarified their position on playing despite the chaos rocking the U.S. capitol earlier in the day. Circulated via press release, the teams related their stance on the day’s events.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 7, 2021
“2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed,” it began.
“We play tonight’s game with a heavy heart after yesterday’s decision in Kenosha, and knowing that protesters in our nation’s capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on. The drastic difference between the way protesters this past spring and summer were treated and the encouragement given to today’s protestors who acted illegally just shows how much more work we have to do. We have decided to play tonight’s game to try to bring joy into people’s lives.”
“But we must not forget the injustices in our society, and we will continue to use our voices and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything we can to work for a more equal and just America,” they added.
Celtics Bill Russell, Jayson Tatum react to violence in Washington DC https://t.co/yQszWbZ9Sf
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 6, 2021
The statement closed with a hashtag, which read as follows:
“#BLACKLIVESSTILLMATTER.”
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