Cleveland Indians to review team name in light of protests against racial injustice

The Cleveland Indians play their home games at Progressive Field

The Cleveland Indians are to review their team name in order to "embrace their responsibility to advance social justice and equality".

The Major League Baseball side's announcement comes in light of recent protests against racial injustice in the United States.

On Friday, NFL side the Washington Redskins said they would review their name after demands from major sponsors.

The Indians said they were "committed to making a positive impact".

"Our organisation fully recognises our team name is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community," the team said in a statement.

"We have had ongoing discussions organisationally on these issues. The recent social unrest in our community and our country has only underscored the need for us to keep improving as an organisation on issues of social justice.

"With that in mind, we are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name."

The Indians dropped the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms in 2019 after Major League Baseball said it was "no longer appropriate".

The logo - a grinning, red-faced cartoon man in a feather headband - had been used by the team since 1947 but had been singled out by Native American groups as an offensive racial caricature, with the team criticised for perpetuating stereotypes about indigenous people.