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Roethlisberger Speaks, Keisel Marches, as Protesters Hit Streets of Pittsburgh

Members of the Steelers bring their voices to light as protests emerge in the city of Pittsburgh.
Noah Strackbein|
Roethlisberger Speaks, Keisel Marches, as Protesters Hit Streets of Pittsburgh
Roethlisberger Speaks, Keisel Marches, as Protesters Hit Streets of Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH --  On a day of chaos, when many are hoping the destruction of a city leads to peace, some current and former members of the Steelers organization have raised their voices in the conversation. 

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was not the first to speak, but his name may ring the loudest. 

"The cruelty and injustice must stop, racism must end, and love must find a way to prevail," Roethlisberger released in a statement on Twitter. "We are all children of God, equal in His eyes, and must hold one another accountable to fair and just standards."

Minkah Fitzpatrick started his conversation by tying those who are upset about the protests with those who are upset about the death of George Floyd. 

Fitzpatrick has since started asking followers to begin conversations with him, asking for their thoughts so they can have an open dialogue about the issue at hand. 

James Conner retweeted Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s tweet calling out those who are looking away from the side of change. 

Former Steelers Super Bowl champion Brett Keisel announced on social media that he was walking with protesters during Pittsburgh's scheduled rally on Saturday. 

Linebacker Vince Williams has even started reaching out for GoFundMe pages directed towards businesses that were destroyed during the demonstrations in downtown Pittsburgh. 

Steven Nelson started Saturday by apologizing for those who are looting and destroying property during protests around the country.

And defensive captain Cameron Heyward spoke on his emotions prior to the protestors gathering throughout the city. 

"Still can’t find my words to make sense of it all. Too many have died and not enough have changed."

Maurkice Pouncey and JuJu Smith-Schuster joined the conversation in the days following the initial protests. 

For nearly two hours, protestors in downtown Pittsburgh walked peacefully through the streets. Once they arrived on the corner of PPG Paints arena, law enforcement announced that the demonstrations were now considered "unlawful assembly." 

Over the course of the next several hours, the streets became violent, forcing the city to ask citizens to leave and for businesses to shut down. They eventually set a curfew for 8:30 p.m. the restricted anyone from being on the streets. 

Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto tweeted his statement towards those looting and vandalizing the city, telling them they will be arrested for their actions. 

"To those vandalizing Downtown. You will be arrested," Peduto said. "You have turned on the very mission, and more importantly - the people, you supposedly marched for 2 hours ago. You have turned their peaceful march for justice into your self-centered, violent act of attention."

Pittsburgh Public Safety announced 43 adults and one juvenile were arrested during the demonstrations.

Noah Strackbein is a Senior Writer with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher for On SI, covering the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. A Jessup, PA native, Noah attended Point Park University, where he fell in love with the Steel City and everything it has to offer. You can find Noah's work at Steelers On SI and weekdays as the hosts of All Steelers Talk.

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