Penguins issue statement condemning racism, senseless violence
Following the lead of more than two-thirds of NHL teams, the Penguins released a statement Monday night condemning racism, social injustice and senseless violence.
“This has been a horrible time for our country and our city,” the statement read. “We are all appalled by senseless violence and share the outrage that racism and social injustice continue to permeate our society. The killing of Mr. (George) Floyd impacted us all.
“Moving forward from this moment, and after the violence that took place in our own city on Saturday, we must work together to ensure that we always treat each other with dignity, respect, and a spirit of understanding.
“Let’s all be better together. Starting right now.”
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 2, 2020
A protest turned violent in the shadow of PPG Paints Arena on Saturday. A statue of Mario Lemieux outside the building was vandalized, and Penguins president David Morehouse helped rescue a KDKA-TV cameraman who was beaten.
Earlier Monday, Penguins winger Jason Zucker issued a more forceful statement. Zucker played parts of nine seasons for the Minnesota Wild before being traded to the Penguins in February.
“It is us vs. racism,” the statement read, in part. “One of the most powerful things I continue to read during this time is: When your children ask you about this time, when they learn about George Floyd in our history books, what will you say YOU did in response to racism and injustice?
“At the VERY least, you can use your voice. I am pro justice. I am pro accountability. Black lives matter.”
The Penguins retweeted Zucker’s statement.
— Jason Zucker (@Jason_Zucker16) June 2, 2020
The Penguins were criticized by social media users earlier Monday for a tweet the team issued in the aftermath of the Tree of Life shooting in 2018. It included a photo of two of the officers who were shot while responding to the shooting, Mike Smigda and Anthony Burke, and chief Scott Schuber holding a “Thin Blue Line” flag.
To critics of police brutality, the flag has become a symbol of oppression.
The tweet was subsequently deleted.
Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.
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