The ‘Indigenous People’s Sunrise Gathering’ refers to the occupation of the island-prison by Native American activists in 1969. Nearly 90 demonstrators occupied Alcatraz for nine months, demanding the site be converted into an “American Indian Cultural Center.”
“Our fight is the same fight,” Kaepernick told the crowd. “We’re all fighting for our justice, for our freedom. And realizing that we are all in this fight together makes us all the more powerful.”