Detroit Lions Denounce Use Of Like-Image During White Nationalist Rally In Charlottesville

DETROIT (WWJ) - The Detroit Lions joining with another professional team in Detroit to denounce the hate-speech and symbols attached to those used during the white nationalist rally in Virginia this weekend.

A photo which appeared in a Newsweek article prompted the message sent to Fox 2 from the Lions' organization.

"We detest and disavow any use or implied use of the Detroit Lions logo or any of our marks in association with the event this past Saturday in Charlottesville. We value diversity as it represents the strong fabric of our team, the City of Detroit, the NFL, the game of football, our fans and our country."

The "Unite the Right" rally which took place in Charlotteville on Saturday ended with up to three people dead and dozens of other counter-protesters injured.

The Detroit Red Wings issued a similar statement on Saturday after their Red Wings logo was used by white supremacists in the rally.

"The Detroit Red Wings vehemently disagree with and are not associated in any way with the vent taking place today in Charlottesville, Va. The Red Wings believe that Hockey is for Everyone and we celebrate the great diversity of our fan base and our nation. We are exploring every possible legal action as it pertains to the misuse of our logo in this disturbing demonstration."

The violent protests and rallies in Charlottesville were centered around the city's decision to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a city park. Right-wing blogger Jason Kessler planned what he called a "pro-white" rally to protest the removal of the statue with counter-protesters fighting back.