The mayor in Louisiana has rescinded a ban on his city’s recreation facilities buying Nike products. Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Kenner Mayor E. Ben Zahn said that his decision had been made on the advice of the city attorney. “That memorandum divided our city and placed Kenner in a false and unflattering light on the national stage,” Zahn said.

Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn says on advice of his attorneys, he has rescinded his controversial ban on Nike purchases. pic.twitter.com/cTqRlcP0fw — Paul Murphy (@PMurphyWWL) September 12, 2018

The memo, which was issued days after Nike hired former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick for its new advertising campaign, also demanded that certain purchases made by sports booster clubs for use at city recreation facilities be approved by the city. “Under no circumstances will any Nike product or any product with the Nike logo be purchased for use or delivery at any City of Kenner Recreation facility,” the mayor wrote. Kaepernick sparked a wave of protests by NFL players in 2016 when he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.

It disappoints me that this is happening in my state. The Mayor of Kenner is trying to ban all Nike apparel and equipment from children’s sports and playgrounds. I would like to have a conversation with him when i return from this European Tour. Not to fuss, just to build. pic.twitter.com/gRCoCN3nQP — Dee-1; IG @dee1music (@Dee1music) September 9, 2018

Earlier on Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana had called upon the mayor to rescind his “unconstitutional policy.” In the wake of widespread criticism, Zahn had defended the memo, saying he hoped his decision would “protect taxpayer dollars from being used in a political campaign.” “I applaud Nike’s message of inclusion and encouragement for everyone to be their best and dream big,” Zahn wrote in a statement. “But I also recognize that Nike, in its zeal to sell shoes, chose to promote and sell a political message.” (Read the mayor’s full statement below.) The backlash to Nike’s advertising campaign was immediate, with conservatives calling for a boycott and destroying their own Nike items. An outraged President Donald Trump attacked the company on Twitter and falsely claimed it was “getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts.” Nike’s online sales jumped double digits since the campaign was announced. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued a statement on Monday, calling Zahn’s mandate “out of step” with “the values the people of New Orleans stand for.” “Although the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is located in Kenner, it is owned and governed by the City of New Orleans,” Cantrell said. “Let me assure you that our airport will continue to uphold our City’s values.”

The mandate handed down by Kenner’s mayor is out of step with those values & not reflective of the way we do business. Although @NO_Airport is located in Kenner, it is owned and governed by @CityOfNOLA. Let me assure you that our airport will continue to uphold our City's values. pic.twitter.com/z6tU99ihV7 — Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@mayorcantrell) September 10, 2018

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Kenner City Councilman Gregory Carroll described the mayor’s memo as “disturbing” and said he was “100% AGAINST this decision.”

“I was not made aware of this decision beforehand and it is in direct contradiction of what I stand for and what the City of Kenner should stand for,” Carroll said. “I will meet with the Mayor and other Council members in an effort to rescind this directive.” The mayor “just got caught up in all this stuff and made a move off the cuff,” Carroll added to BuzzFeed. Jay Banks, a city council member from neighboring New Orleans, posted a picture of himself on Facebook holding a Nike shirt.