Ex-MLS defender Reggie Cannon says he received death threats for protesting during national anthem

Former FC Dallas defender Reggie Cannon opened up about the reaction he got from fans when he and the team decided to kneel during the national anthem last year to start Major League Soccer’s second half of the season.

Cannon told The Guardian on Wednesday he was scared for his life as he received death threats for protesting racial injustice and police brutality with his actions before a match in August.

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"That whole situation with Dallas was handled terribly and there were repercussions of it, but my career wasn’t affected by that and I am able to get to the next level in good time," said Cannon, who now plays for Boavista in Portugal’s Primeira Liga. "Unfortunately, my safety in America was compromised and that’s the risk you take with pointing out injustices because people are going to disagree."

FLASHBACK: FC DALLAS' REGGIE CANNON BLASTS FANS FOR BOOING AS PLAYERS KNELT FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM: 'I THINK IT WAS DISGUSTING'

He added: "Threatening to kill your family, threatening to show up at your house, threatening to do vulgar things to you, that I can’t say. It is, unfortunately, part of the society that America is today, especially when Trump was in charge. Now we have moved past that."

Cannon said in October that FC Dallas wanted him to apologize for the comments he made after receiving boos. He said after the August match that it was "disgusting" for fans to do such a thing. He said he would reject the ask.

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FC Dallas didn’t comment on Cannon’s remark.