Thousands turn out to protest Washington Redskins name at Minnesota game

Native Americans and protest organizations opposing the continued use of the Washington Redskins name have long targeted Sunday's game against Minnesota for a concerted protest. Minneapolis, unlike most other NFL cities, has a significant Native American presence, and the University of Minnesota, which hosted the game, has long opposed the use of Native American names as mascots.

The result was the largest protest to date against the name. Minneapolis police estimated the size of the crowd at 3,500 to 4,000; protest organizers pegged the number at 5,000. Either way, it was a significant show of support for the cause.

Public pressure is mounting against the name, although polls show a significant majority continue to support its use. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has vowed never to change the name.

“We are here to tell the NFL there is no honor in a racial slur,” U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) said at the rally, per the Washington Post. “Here in Minnesota we have 11 proud tribal nations, but only 150 years ago, their ancestors, men and women, elders and children, were hunted and murdered for profit. This was a government-funded policy of genocide. The pain of this brutal and shameful history is still with us. If there is any decency in the NFL, the time is now — change the mascot.”

Here, via Deadspin, is video of the protest, growing larger as the minutes pass:

And a different angle on the protest:

This is the scene of the largest ever physical gathering against the Wash. NFL team. #ChangetheMascot #changethename http://ift.tt/10eZSkj

— Mike Wise (@MikeWiseguy) November 2, 2014

The University of Minnesota had sought to block the use of the Redskins name on campus, but that bid was unsuccessful.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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