Giants manager pauses National Anthem protest for Memorial Day game

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler has paused his National Anthem protest for Memorial Day, and decided to stand for the anthem at Monday night's game against the Phillies.

In response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, TX, Kapler announced that he would not take the field for the National Anthem until he feels "okay with the state of this country."

While he stuck to his word for the three games that took place over the weekend, Kapler decided he would put his protest on hold for Monday night's game out of respect for Memorial Day.

Kapler made the announcement on Monday via his personal blog.

"Today, I’ll be standing for the anthem," he wrote. "While I believe strongly in the right to protest and the importance of doing so, I also believe strongly in honoring and mourning our country’s service men and women who fought and died for that right."

"Those who serve in our military, and especially those who have paid the ultimate price for our rights and freedoms, deserve that acknowledgment and respect, and I am honored to stand on the line today to show mine."

Kapler also stated that he would be donating to two organizations, one of which works to end gun violence, and another that focuses on veteran healthcare.

Kapler's decision to protest the national anthem was met with mixed reactions from the public. Some agreed that it was the right thing to do given the recent tragedy in Uvalde, while others argued it was just virtue signalling. One user even went so far as to say he would be boycotting MLB until Kapler was either banned, or ended his protest.

Unlike other anthem-protestors such as Colin Kaepernick, who made a spectacle by taking a knee on the field, Kapler said he would simply stay off the field entirely until the anthem was over.

"I don’t plan on coming out for the anthem going forward until I feel better about the direction of our country," he said on Friday, adding that he thought his actions were unlikely to "move the needle" on the issue of gun violence in America.