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Hertha Berlin 'Take A Knee' As Show Of Solidarity With NFL Protests

Hertha Berlin 'Take A Knee' As Show Of Solidarity With NFL Protests

“Hertha BSC stands for tolerance and responsibility!”

James Dawson

James Dawson

German football team Hertha Berlin today mimicked NFL teams in the United States by 'taking a knee' ahead of their Bundesliga match against Schalke.

Ahead of the kick-off, the starting XI lined up and linked arms, before taking a knee - they were joined by the club's coaching staff and substitutes on the touchline.

The club posted a statement explaining why their players had made the gesture a show of solidarity via Twitter.

"Hertha BSC stands for tolerance and responsibility!" they wrote. "For a tolerant Berlin and an open-minded world, now and forevermore! #TakeAKnee #hahohe"

Schalke went on to win the match after second-half goals from Leon Goretzka and Guido Burgstaller.

The series of protests began last year, with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick taking the stance during the American national anthem, as a demonstration against the treatment of black Americans by authorities.

US President Donald Trump has heavily criticised the American protest, recently claiming that NFL owners should "get that son of a bitch off the field" when "somebody disrespects our flag".

Credit: PA Images

Speaking after the game, Hertha's sporting executive Michael Preetz told reporters: "We live in times in which football clubs, who are very much in the spotlight, must work out how to position themselves, and this is in tune with the values and the philosophy of Hertha Berlin.

"I've been here for 21 years, and we've always been against discrimination of any kind and against racism. We are Berlin. We are an open-minded city, and we stand for diversity, and that's what the team and the club wanted to stand up for today."

Ivorian forward Salomon Kalou added that: "Hertha always stands against racism. If we can fight against that as a team, and as the city of Berlin, then that's something we want to do.

"I think Hertha is living a good example to fight against this phenomenon.

"The idea comes from the whole team. We stand against racism and we will always fight this behaviour as a team, as a city."

Source: EPSN

Featured Image Credit: Twitter / Hertha Berlin

Topics: Berlin, Football, Germany, NFL, Protest