Protester during national anthem in Dallas urges fans to 'Vote Republican'

Once again, a protester took action during the national anthem prior to an NFL game, speaking out on a cause important to them and using the anthem and an NFL game as a platform for their views. But this time, the protester wasn’t a player, and he wasn’t speaking out against racial inequality.

During Sunday’s national anthem, an as-yet-unidentified protester raised a “Stop Abortion / Vote Republican” sign and walked across the roof of AT&T Stadium’s field suites just prior to the Dallas Cowboys’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

According to observers on the scene, the protester carried a sign with “Stop Abortion” on one side, and “Vote Republican” on the other. Security officials guided the man back toward the seats, and it did not appear he was asked to leave, according to local reports.

Player protests during the national anthem, which dominated the league most of last season, have dwindled to almost nothing, with most players choosing to focus their efforts on more productive, less provocative efforts. The protests — which were always silent, without signs or movement — drew sharp condemnation from a significant slice of America for being disrespectful, even unpatriotic.

Of course, just like the players, the unnamed protester has the freedom to say whatever he wishes during the anthem (though he did trespass while doing so). However, a recent poll noted that 86 percent of Republicans were against the NFL players’ protests; it’ll be interesting to see if they’re equally as irate about a protest supporting Republican causes.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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