Detroit Lions denounce unauthorized use of logo by Charlottesville white nationalist group

Over the weekend, photos emerged from the rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia of a group of people—defined as white nationalists by Newsweek—carrying a version of the Detroit Lions logo.

The Lions issued a statement to Fox 2 Detroit on Tuesday, denouncing the unauthorized use of their logo and the misappropriation of their values.

“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."

This comes days after the Detroit Red Wings offered a similar statement when a Michigan group known as the “Detroit Right Wings” were sporting the Winged Wheel logo at the same rallies. “The Detroit Red Wings vehemently disagree with and are not associated in any way with the event taking place today in Charlottesville, Va,” the team said. “The Red Wings believe that hockey is for everyone, and we celebrate the great diversity of our fan base and our nation.”

The Red Wings announced they would be pursuing legal action against the unauthorized use of their logo. The Lions have yet to announce whether they are seeking legal action or not.