Olympian Gwen Berry insists National Anthem is ‘disrespectful to black Americans’ as she doubles down on flag protest
OLYMPIC athlete Gwen Berry has insisted the national anthem is "disrespectful" to black Americans just days after she turned her back on the US flag during a medal ceremony.
The Black Lives Matter activist, 31, doubled down on her controversial protest on Monday in an interview with Black News Channel, an affiliate of CNN.
“I never said that I didn’t want to go to the Olympic games. I never said that I hated the country. I never said that,” Berry told the outlet.
“All I said was I respect my people enough to not stand or acknowledge something that disrespects them.”
A disgruntled Berry, who placed third, was seen standing with her hand on her hip before turning to face the stands instead of the flag.
Psaki said that while Biden is "incredibly proud to be an American and has great respect for the anthem and all that it represents … he would also say, of course, that part of that pride in our country means recognizing there are moments where we, as a country, haven’t lived up to our highest ideals."
That means, Psaki said, "respecting the right of people, granted to them in the Constitution, to peacefully protest.”
Psaki added that she hasn't spoken directly with Biden about the matter.
Berry previously competed in the hammer throw at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
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During that competition she failed to qualify for the medal round.
She has protested during the national anthem before, raising her right fist and bowing her head during the 2019 Pan-America Games in Peru.