Olympic athlete Gwen Berry, who on Saturday turned away from the US flag during the national anthem, is doubling down on her controversial protest.
The hammer thrower and activist took to her Instagram story and pointed out the hypocrisy of people calling her out for her protest, but not those that protested the election on January 6th.
Berry, who famously protested during the anthem in the 2019 Pan American Games, caught attention for turning her body toward the stands and away from the flag as “The Star-Spangled Banner” was playing at the trials in Eugene, Oregon. Aside from turning away from the Anthem, she also put a black T-shirt with the words “Activist Athlete” on her head.
Texas congressman Dan Crenshaw said Monday that Berry should be removed from the team. Senator Ted Cruz tweeted, “Why does the Left hate America?” while former Republican presidential candidate and ex-Wisconsin governor Scott Walker also blasted Berry on Twitter.
Berry responded to the criticism on social media, saying people’s comments shows they “rally patriotism over basic morality” and “the commercials, statements, and phony sentiments regarding black lives were just a hoax.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral Olympics stories via Google! Follow Us
“I never said I hated this country!” she said in another tweet. “People try to put words in my mouth but they can’t. That’s why I speak out. I LOVE MY PEOPLE.”
