Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for Maroon 5 to drop out of the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
via Complex:
About a month ago, it was reported that Rihanna had turned down the highly coveted gig in support of Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers QB who’s in an ongoing legal dispute with the NFL. The 31-year-old athlete filed a collusion grievance against the league in 2017, claiming he was blacklisted for his on-field protests against police brutality. Since then, many fans, celebrities, and activists have taken action against the NFL for their treatment of Kaepernick. One of these individuals is Vic Oyedeji, the man behind the Change.org petition that is calling on Maroon 5 to drop out of the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
“Maroon 5 has made music over the years featuring artists from all genres, including Rihanna, Cardi B and Kendrick Lamar—all of whom have publicly supported Kaepernick in his decision to protest the violent racism sweeping the United States. Maroon 5 must do the same,” the petition reads. “The band has a chance to stand on the right side of history […] Rihanna, JAY-Z, Amy Schumer, and others have refused to work with the NFL. Maroon 5: Americans look to artists and celebrities as leaders, and you have huge opportunity to use your influence to take a stand.”
As of Wednesday night, the petition has garnered more than 37,000 signatures—about 13,000 shy of Oyedeji’s goal. The Super Bowl LIII 2019 will go down Feb. 3 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Super Bowl isn’t something artists just drop out of — but you never know.
