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Part of Silent protest at UB football game starts conversation about free speech, Black Lives Matter, September 26, 2016

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Silent protest

at UB football game staits
\ ',

conversation about free speech,
Army

BSU

Black ·Lives Matter
a

Though it was only a small group tive if
took
stance during conversation on campus, which is
of 15 to 20
students who
the tailgate
or on the field. Be- everyone's right to free speech.
.volved, they speak for hundreds cause of the dwindling attendance
Looking forward to upcoming
of others who are too •afraid to at the game since the team lost fodtball games, it would be interact. Their few moments of pro- the firsttwo games, there maynot esting to see if members of the
test spoke volumes for those who have been enough people to notice football team will partjcipate in fudon't feel confident sitting during BSU's actions.,
ture protests. Perhaps players don't
But sometimes, being silent is feel the need to kneel during the
the anthem or speakingout.
This isn't the first time BSU ar- the most effective way to get a anthem, or maybe they were spectfically Instructed to stand.
ranged peaceful protest. In the message across.
Other editors felt BSU's meswakee of the White Only,, Black
But there's also a possibili'
Only signs controversy last year, the sage was clear. There .was no need ty that BSU's decision to sit durgroup staged a walkout frotn class- to be vocal or draw attention from ing the anthem is the start of stues and parotest at President Satish everyone in the stadium. Any row- dents feeling comfortable speakTripathi's annual State of the Uni- dy or violent behavior would cause ing up and exercising their rights.
versity Address. Their voices were their message to be muddled. by We at The Spectrum hope BSU continues to speak out for those who
loud and clear that they were disap- their actions
The time seems appropriate, since are hesitant and. to incite meaning­
pointed in the school's actions. ' '
On Saturday, it was a small' other similar protests have taken ful rhetoric about the Black Lives
,
'
er group of BSU and other affili- place during a football game's na- Matter movement.
too afraid to
who took the time to tional anthem. The group coµld
selves. In a school of 30,000.
organize themselves and get their have seen a larger 'audience, per- emall: eic@ubspectrum.com
message across at the game.
haps at a different game. But they
agree with BSU's message and can
Part of our editorial board felt did what they had to do. They were
empathize with their emotiqns. it would have been more effec- noticed and s):atttd a very important
At the Buffaloversus
footballgame on Saturday, members
of the Black Student Union (BSU)
protested silently by wearing all
black; holding up their fists and sitting during the national anthem.
This act has become a nationby 49ers
al phenomenon started
quarterbackColin Kaepernick,
who refused to stand for the national anthem as a way to voice
the importance of the Black Lives
Matter movement./
commend
BSU's actions. Their silent protest
was a way to start a conversation
campus about the Black LivesMatter movement.
their rightto free speech calmly.
BSU speaks for those who are

were in-

a

We at The Spectrum
on

The group exercised

speak or act them-

are members

there are bound to be others who