People arrive for a rally in support of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2017, near NFL headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on efforts in support of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who refused to stand for the national anthem (all times local):
8:45 p.m.
Supporters of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (KAP'-ur-nihk) are demanding he be signed by a team before the National Football League season starts next month.
They gathered outside the NFL's New York City headquarters on Wednesday to show their support for the free agent, who once played in the Super Bowl but opted out of his contract and hasn't been signed.
Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem before games as a protest of police brutality targeting blacks. His supporters say he's being blackballed. Critics point to his playing ability and say he should have stood.
The Rev. Jamal Bryant says the league doesn't mind if black players get concussions but "they just got a problem if black players get a conscience."
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6 p.m.
Hundreds of supporters of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (KAP'-ur-nihk) are rallying outside the New York City headquarters of the National Football League to support him.
Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem as a protest against police brutality and is now without a team. His supporters say he's being blackballed. The free agent once played in the Super Bowl but hasn't been signed by any football club.
Some critics say it's about his ability as a player. Others say he should have stood for the anthem.
The NAACP sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday about the situation, saying it's "no sheer coincidence" Kaepernick is unsigned. The civil rights organization wants a meeting with the NFL to discuss the situation.
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Noon
The NAACP wants a meeting with the NFL commissioner to discuss the fate of Colin Kaepernick (KAP'-ur-nihk).
He's the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who refused to stand for the national anthem - kneeling as a protest against police brutality. He once took his team to the Super Bowl, but he's a free agent now, and no club has signed him.
The NAACP says in a letter to the football commissioner, Roger Goodell, that it's apparently "no sheer coincidence" that Kaepernick hasn't been picked up.
Derrick Johnson - the NAACP's interim president and CEO - says "no player should be victimized and discriminated against because of his exercise of free speech."
The NAACP plans to participate in a rally Wednesday at NFL headquarters in New York in support of Kaepernick.
FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2016, file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick talks with the media after an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y. What started as a protest against police brutality has mushroomed a year later into a divisive debate over the future of Kaepernick who refused to stand for the national anthem and now faces what his fans see as blackballing for speaking out in a country roiled by racial strife. The once-rising star and Super Bowl quarterback has been unemployed since March, when he opted out of his contract and became a free agent who could sign with any team. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)
The Associated Press
FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2016, file photo, from left, San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Eli Harold, quarterback Colin Kaepernick, center, and safety Eric Reid kneel during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Santa Clara, Calif. What started as a protest against police brutality has mushroomed a year later into a divisive debate over the future of Kaepernick who refused to stand for the national anthem and now faces what his fans see as blackballing for speaking out in a country roiled by racial strife. The once-rising star and Super Bowl quarterback has been unemployed since March, when he opted out of his contract and became a free agent who could sign with any team. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
The Associated Press
Eric Hamilton of New York joins others gathered in support of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2017, in front of NFL headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Associated Press
People raise their arms as hey gather in support of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2017, in front of NFL headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Associated Press
People gather in support of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2017, in front of NFL headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Associated Press
Hazel N. Dukes, president of the NAACP's New York State conference, speaks to people gathered in support of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2017, in front of NFL headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Associated Press
People gather in support of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in front of NFL headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Associated Press
Supporters of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick arrive for a rally Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, near NFL headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Associated Press
People gather in support of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, outside NFL headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Associated Press
Supporters of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick mingle with passers-by on the sidewalk, foreground, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in front of NFL headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Associated Press
People gather in support of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in front of NFL headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Associated Press