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Minnesota Vikings broadcaster Paul Allen steps down temporarily after apologizing for suggesting that protesters marching against an ICE killing were "paid" actors.

Paul Allen, the iconic voice of the Minnesota Vikings, has stepped away from the microphone after a "misguided attempt at humor" regarding the deadly ICE protests sparked a firestorm of backlash.
The veteran KFAN broadcaster announced he is "taking a few days off" after implying on-air that demonstrators protesting the killing of Renee Nicole Good were "paid protesters"—a trope frequently used by right-wing conspiracy theorists to delegitimize civil unrest.
During a Friday segment, as thousands braved sub-zero temperatures to march against the shooting of Good by an ICE agent, Allen quipped, "In conditions like this, do paid protesters get hazard pay?" The remark landed poorly in a city still raw from the trauma of the shooting, and the subsequent death of another resident, Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents the very next day.
"It was insensitive and poorly timed, and I’m sorry," Allen said in a somber pre-recorded statement on Monday. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-19)"It was never made with any political intent... My best was lacking Friday."
The incident occurs against a backdrop of escalating tension in Minneapolis, with clashes between residents and federal law enforcement becoming daily occurrences. For Allen, a beloved local figure, the controversy serves as a stark reminder: in a polarized America, there is no such thing as "sticking to sports."
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