Adam Levine-led pop band Maroon 5 could be set to headline the halftime show at next February’s Superbowl in Atlanta.
Although they have not been confirmed for Super Bowl LIII, the band has been strongly urged not to perform. There’s now a petition to back it up.
The petition requests that Maroon 5 should reject their supposed offer to perform because of the NFL’s policies and decision regarding former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick.
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Kaepernick was exiled from the NFL earlier this year because of his decision to kneel in protest during the national anthem.
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The NFL decided that all players must now “stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem,” or their team will be fined.
The league announced the anthem policy in May, following nearly two years of protests started by Kaepernick. He began his quiet but powerful protest against police brutality and racial inequities in the justice system back in 2016.
Many other players took up the cause, and the gesture carried on during the 2017 season, even after Kaepernick left the 49ers.
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The petition was created by a North Carolina resident by the name of Vic Oyedeji. He reached out to Levine in hopes that the Moves Like Jagger band would use its power and influence as popular celebrities to take a stand against racial inequality.
“Kaepernick has sacrificed his NFL career to call out violent racism in America, and players across the country have followed his lead,” he wrote. “Rihanna, Jay-Z, Amy Schumer and others have refused to work with the NFL.”
“Maroon 5: Americans look to artists and celebrities as leaders,” he added. “You have huge opportunity to use your influence to take a stand.”
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Oyedeji’s petition has caused a lot of confusion amongst NFL supporters and Maroon 5 fans due to its headline.
“Maroon 5: Drop Out of the Super Bowl Halftime Show,” it reads.
The petition is often being mistaken as a malicious demand for Maroon 5 not to play the halftime show, rather than a protest against the NFL.
The result of this misunderstanding is a complete divide of opinions.
Here’s what NFL supporters had to say
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An abundance of football fans are signing the petition not because they dislike Maroon 5, but because they disagree with the idea of a Californian band representing a game set to take place in Atlanta.
Many Maroon 5 fans are crying outrage against the petition, questioning why it was created in the first place.
Here’s what they had to say
Others have taken the time to read the petition to understand and embrace its cause.
You can sign Oyedeji’s petition against social injustice at change.org.
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As of this writing, the petition has gone viral and received more than 40,000 signatures.
Levine and Maroon 5’s publicists have not made further comment.
— With files from Adam Frisk
adam.wallis@globalnews.ca