NFL Athlete Fined Over Palestine Solidarity Message
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez al-Shaair was fined by the National Football League (NFL) for displaying a pro-Palestinian “Stop the genocide” message during a televised game, ESPN reported on 18 January.
The linebacker wore the message of solidarity beneath his eyes during a pre-game team address before Houston faced the New England Patriots, but removed the message before kickoff.
The brief display followed an earlier league penalty for wearing the same message during live play. Al-Shaair was fined $11,593 the previous week for violating NFL uniform rules that prohibit unapproved personal or political messaging.