Young players call for ‘Justice for George Floyd’ in Germany
he bowed his head in reflection. He spent five seconds in this position before getting up again to continue.
“No explanation needed,” Gladbach said on Twitter with a picture of Thuram kneeling.
It evoked memories of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the American national anthem before games to protest police brutality and racial inequality amid the Black Lives Matter movement.
Thuram, who also scored Gladbach’s third goal, made no comment on his gesture after the game.
“He got to the point,” Gladbach Coach Marco Rose said. “He made a sign against racism, one we all completely support of course. I believe that everyone fully supports it, that everyone has the same thoughts he does.”
Thuram is the son of French World Cup winner Lilian Thuram, a prominent antiracism campaigner.
Floyd’s death and footage of his neck pinned under Chauvin’s knee reignited fury over the treatment of African Americans at the hands of police, leading to nightly protests and violent clashes with law enforcement throughout the United States.
On Saturday, Mckennie wore an armband with the handwritten message “Justice for George” around his left arm. Mckennie later said on Twitter: “We have to stand up for what we believe in and I believe that it is time that we are heard!”
Mckennie also said that he felt good using his platform to address a long-standing problem.
Schalke, which lost 1-0 to Werder Bremen, is backing Mckennie.
“We as Schalke 04 are supporting our player’s position 100 percent,” the club’s sporting director Jochen Schneider told the Bild tabloid. “The violent death of American citizen George Floyd has shocked people all over the world. Our player Weston Mckennie sent a clear signal against this unbelievable act and against racism yesterday.”
The German soccer federation’s control committee is to decide in the next days if it intervenes, with any sanctions ultimately decided by its sports court. However, it has not acted on similar incidents in the past. The federation has also campaigned strongly against racism.
In 2014, Union Berlin forward Anthony Ujah displayed a T-shirt with the name of Eric Garner, and the words “can’t breathe” and “justice” in reference to Garner’s death after a police officer placed him in what appeared to be a chokehold.
Ujah, who was playing for Mainz at the time, was given a warning and reminder of
difference,” Black added.
Ross, an eight-time PBA champion with the Beermen, also slammed discrimination against colored people.
“Why is it that dark skinned people are looked at as criminals or thugs or dirty or ugly or gangsters or ‘hip hop,’” Ross said.
AP the ban on political statements from the federation.
On Thursday, Ujah tweeted a picture of his protest from the time, but with Floyd’s name typed above in bold.
Second-place
Dortmund stayed seven points behind league leader Bayern Munich with five rounds to go.