(FOX 8/WVUE) A Slidell carnival krewe has disinvited two New Orleans Saints players as its grand marshals after they decided to sit during the national anthem before Sunday’s win over the Carolina Panthers.
Earlier this year, the Krewe of Poseidon invited Kenny Vaccaro and Alex Okafor to serve as grand marshals of their parade.
But after they were seen among the 10 Saints sitting during the anthem in Charlotte on Sunday, the krewe took back that invitation.
The krewe's president said they didn't take the decision lightly and they don't have a stance on the protest. They just want to stay out of it.
One man said he lived through segregation and the civil rights movement and peaceful protests were not popular then either.
“They have to protest in the only way they know how,” said Alexander Hagans. “It's peaceful. There's nothing wrong with peaceful protest. There's nothing wrong with peaceful voicing your opinion. But here it is - when you dictate how a person speaks in America, how a person protests in America you have a problem. That's dictatorship.”
Many others disagree with protesting during the anthem and support the krewe's decision to stay out of politics.