The decision comes after the postponement of MLB, NBA and WNBA games in response to the brutal shooting of Jacob Blake at the hands of police
A Major League Soccer match between Atlanta United and Inter Miami set to be played on Wednesday night was postponed minutes before kick-off as part of a Black Lives Matter protest in response to police brutality in the United States.
According to a report by the Miami Herald, players from both sides were warmed up and ready to take to the field when the decision was made not to play the game.
The decision sees MLS join the NBA, WNBA and MLB in postponing fixtures in protest, and is said to have come about after discussions between Inter Miami captain Luis Robles and Atlanta captain, the former Aston Villa goalkeeper, Brad Guzan. After a discussion pre-match, the decision was made to call off the match.
Of the six MLS games scheduled for Wednesday night, five were postponed in protest. The only match that went ahead was Orlando vs Nashville.
On Wednesday night, the Milwaukee Bucks – one of the favourites for this season’s NBA championship – made the decision to boycott game five of their seven-game series against Orlando Magic.
This decision, which was praised by other players in the league, was quickly followed by the postponement of the night’s other three play-off ties.
The postponements follow the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Blake, a black man, was shot seven times by police officers and is paralysed from the waist down. He is currently recovering in hospital, though it will take a “miracle” for him to walk again.
His shooting has prompted a series of protests in Kenosha, and violence from white counter-protesters.
A theme which was crucial in the resumption of the NBA season in what is being called the ‘bubble’ was the need for the remainder of the season to be used as a platform for equality and an end of police brutality in the United States.
Since the resumption, each court has been adorned with the words ‘Black Lives Matter’, while a number of players have chosen to replace the name on their jerseys with a message of hope, solidarity, and calls for justice.
