by Grace Carr
Mississippi state police won’t be able to purchase any Nike apparel or products after an announcement from the commissioner of public safety.
“As commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, I will not support vendors who do not support law enforcement and our military,” Commissioner Marshall Fisher said in a statement, USA Today reported Sunday.
The announcement comes after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick tweeted out a picture of Nike’s new campaign ad on Sept. 3. Kaepernick was the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem in August 2016, sparking a trend in national sports where players kneel during the anthem rather than standing and placing their hand on their heart.
The ad ran during NFL’s opening game on Sept. 6. and celebrated Nike’s 30th anniversary. It aired shortly before the 17th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Fisher has the right to prohibit business “with a company that pays an individual who has slandered our fine men and women in law enforcement,” said Mississippi GOP Gov. Phil Bryant in a statement of support, according to USA Today.
The Department of Public Safety has purchased shirts, shoes and training uniforms from Nike previously, according to department spokesperson Warren Strain. The department includes the Bureau of Narcotics, Bureau of Investigation, Office of Homeland Security, and the state’s Highway Patrol, Crime Lab, and Medical Examiner.
Nike stock was down nearly 3 percent on Sept. 4 after the company announced Kaepernick as the new face of its “Just Do It” campaign. Shortly after, however, Nike stock surged over 30 percent.
Kaepernick reportedly donated $25,000 to the Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion advocacy group. Kaepernick also gave nearly $8,000 in donations to the Women’s March.
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