The Lions canceled practice in order to speak out against the shooting of Jacob Blake

“We won’t be silent.”

Right when U.S. professional sports moved towards restarts, the country was facing nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

And at the time, some players voiced concerns about how sports could serve as a distraction and take away from the important push for social justice.

On Tuesday, the Detroit Lions were determined to not let that happen.

Instead of holding their scheduled practice for Tuesday, the Lions players addressed the media outside their facility in Allen Park, Mich. As a group, they spoke out against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha. Wisc. Blake was shot multiple times in the back and left paralyzed, according to his father.

After speaking to reporters, Lions players took to Twitter to echo their message that these police shootings of unarmed Black men and women need to stop.

According to NBC Sports, the Lions had initially pushed practice back to 1:15 p.m. before canceling practice altogether.

You can read more from USA TODAY.

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