Controversial flag causes stir at Penguins ceremony for Pittsburgh shooting victims
Filed under: News, Sports, News
The Penguins took to their home ice Tuesday for the first time since a gunman walked into the Tree Of Life Synagogue in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Squirrel Hill and opened fire, killing 11 people.
An outpouring of support has flooded the city since Saturday’s tragic attack, and the Penguins used their first game at PPG Paints Arena in the aftermath to honour the victims with a special, lengthy ceremony.
It started with three members from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh joining the players on the ice, before an 11-second moment of silence was held in memory of the 11 who lost their lives.
An emotional performance of the US National Anthem followed, with a good chunk of the crowd singing along as Jeff Jimerson belted out the Star-Spangled Banner.
Then, a ceremonial puck drop featuring Pittsburgh police Chief Scott Schubert, along with two of the heroic officers injured in the attack, Anthony Burke and Mike Smigda. But the events, unfortunately, weren’t without controversy.
As some on social media quickly pointed out, Chief Shubert was proudly displaying a “Blue Lives Matter” flag during the face-off — a symbol that is widely seen as law enforcement’s insulting countermovement to the Black Lives Matter campaign, which aims to end systemic racism and violence against the African-American community.
The conclusion to what had otherwise been a heartfelt tribute to the victims of a terrible tragedy began to draw the ire of many on social media, and a moment that was meant to honor the city of Pittsburgh was quickly clouded in controversy.
Related: Steelers honor shooting victims: