Before Sunday's Washington vs. Minnesota game, thousands of protesters gathered at the University of Minnesota to rally against the use of "Redskins" as a team name.
Minnesota is a state rich with Native American history and ancestry, and University of Minnesota students and activists are aiming to make their faces and voices known to supporters of the team name.
#ChangeTheName #changethemascot #nohonorinracism
#notyourmascot
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges stands tall for #changethename at #notyourmascot rally.
The Washington team name is a dictionary-defined slur, but the team owner Dan Snyder argues it has a separate meaning for his team, one that honors Native heritage.
A similar protest was held during the 1992 Super Bowl, when Washington played the Bills in Minnesota. Media estimates today's protest is larger than the 2,000 person rally in 1992.
This is the scene of the largest ever physical gathering against the Wash. NFL team. #ChangetheMascot #changethename
Police put anti Redskin rally total at 3200. Organizers say at least 5000. Mpls Mayor Betsy Hodges leads crowd in chant, "Change the name."
The week before the protest, a Minneapolis ad agency released a video demonstrating the word's use in context of other slurs.
View this video on YouTube
Simon Moya-Smith, a journalist at the rally, told BuzzFeed they expected Washington team name supporters to face the protestors. At the time of kickoff, no conflicts had been reported.
Minneapolis. Tons of people here. #NoHonorInRacism #NotYourMascot #ChangeTheMascot #changethename