Military officials said they are looking into an incident Saturday in which students flashed what appeared to be white supremacist hand signs during televised activities before the Army-Navy football game.
Pregame festivities aired by ESPN showed cadets on both sides of the rivalry – two West Point cadets and one Naval Academy midshipman – making gestures as a camera focused on a sideline report from journalist Rece Davis.
At least one of the gestures resembled a white supremacist symbol described by theSouthern Poverty Law Centeras “the thumb and forefinger joined together in a circle, the remaining three fingers splayed out behind. “
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“West Point is looking into it and we do not know the intent of the cadets,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt, director of public affairs, in an email.
Cmdr. Alana Garas of the Naval Academy said in an email, “We are aware and will be looking into it.”
The Navy won the th annual game 31 – 7. It was kicked off withthe help of President Donald Trump, who took the field during the coin toss and visited both teams’ locker rooms beforehand to shake hands with the players.
Davis was doing a standup segment at Lincoln Financial Field when a cadet held up a flag that read “Go Army Beat Navy” and began laughing.
Someone on the Midshipmen side who was out of the frame then appeared to make the one-handed symbol, which looks like a W and a P, and continued until someone wearing a glove tapped him on the hand.
Dennis Romero************************
Dennis Romero writes for NBC News and is based in Los Angeles.
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