The City of Cleveland will join forces with the Browns before Sunday’s opening game in an effort to draw attention to a message of solidarity.
Before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, the players will be joined by Cleveland police officers, firefighters, EMTs and members of the U.S. armed forces as they run onto the field before the game reports ESPN.com.
Additionally, the organization will show a video before the national anthem aiming to express solidarity with the community and stress the importance of diversity and equality.
The public safety officials will also stand with the players for the anthem. Players said they asked the Haslam family, the team’s owners, to stand with them as well.
The pre-game action came as a result of a reported frank discussion between players and team owner Jimmy and Dee Haslam. During talks players explained why some opted to kneel during the national anthem and why others linked arms while standing. Police Chief Calvin Williams told ESPN that he and the police department became involved at the urging of players.
“It means that people are willing to sit down and work together to come up with actual solutions rather than just talking about what’s wrong and who’s at fault,” police chief Calvin Williams said. “That’s what the Browns have come to the table and said: ‘We want to be able to talk to folks and start a dialogue.’
“Which is kind of what … if you want to call it a protest or what their prayer was about — to start a dialogue, to start to talk about some of these issues and try to come up with solutions.”