Players take knee for peace

Waterhouse club president Donovan White says that the football fraternity have a responsibility to be part of the solution to the ongoing problem of crime and violence which has seen an alarming surge in recent days.

In response to the escalating wave of murders occurring, the 2022 Jamaica Premier League season began with all players taking a knee before their matches on Sunday, Monday and yesterday, in solidarity with the victims and bringing a call for change.

White said that the directors of Professional Football Jamaica Limited took the decision to make their voice heard as a football community to be part of the solution.

"We felt that given the platform that we have in having the games live on television, we thought that it was a good opportunity for us to add our voice to the call to all Jamaicans to love and respect each other," White told STAR Sports.

The taking of the knee has been used as a means to call for change in the fight against racial injustice and was made famous by former United States National Football League (NFL) quarterback Colin Kaepernick. White says that while they could have chosen to use other gestures, he hoped that it would not distract from the message they are trying to convey.

"We could have done any number of things but we chose to take a knee and we don't believe that it takes away from the symbolism of what it represents. We are hoping that it will start a movement among all Jamaicans to take a stand against crime," White said. "Hopefully, with leadership from the political directorate, we will begin to see some kind of reduction in the state and gruesomeness of crime and violence in the country."

Jamaica recorded 37 murders in the first eight days of 2022. Among the homicides this year was the murder of nine-year-old Gabriel King in St James, a crime which shocked the entire country.

Cavalier SC captain, Kyle Ming, says that recent events have been alarming and believes that the players have an opportunity to be part of the solution.

"It is really sad to look at the news and see women dying, children dying. It's just really sad because it could have been one of our family members," Ming said. "A lot of people look up to players like us. So doing stuff like that will help to stop the violence."