Liverpool players knelt down at Anfield on Monday in a tribute to George Floyd and the image was shared on social media with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.
Floyd, who is black, died in police custody in Minnesota after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes. The incident sparked protests in cities across the United States. The protests have now spread to Europe with people gathering in London and Berlin.
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged in the death of the 46-year-old Floyd.
A number of Liverpool first team players shared the image of the squad paying tribute to Floyd and the club retweeted the pictures.
The kneeling was similar to a gesture made by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who in 2016 began kneeling during the U.S. national anthem to protest police brutality.
Borussia Dortmund forward Jadon Sancho revealed the message “Justice for George Floyd” after scoring in the 6-1 Bundesliga win against Paderborn on Sunday.
Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram took a knee after scoring his first goal on Sunday in honour of ongoing protests in the United States following the death of Floyd.
United States international Weston McKennie also displayed his support for Floyd during Schalke’s 1-0 defeat to Werder Bremen on Saturday, wearing an armband with the message “Justice for George.”
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba posted on Instagram on Monday to speak out against racism. He said: “During the past few days I have thought a lot about how to express my feelings about what happened in Minneapolis. I felt anger, pity, hatred, indignation, pain, sadness.
“Sadness for George and for all black people who suffer from racism EVERY DAY! Whether in football, at work, at school, ANYWHERE!
“This has to stop, once and for all! Not tomorrow or the next day, it has to end TODAY!”
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) June 1, 2020
Players from around the world have spoken out about Floyd’s death. Kylian Mbappe tweeted out the hashtag #JusticeForGeorge on Saturday, before posting an image on Monday that read: “Police with us, not against us!” It also shows people of various skin colours and professions holding hands with a space left open for a lone police officer to join.
U.S. women’s national team stars Crystal Dunn and Alex Morgan voiced their support on Friday, with both players saying they were “sickened” by Floyd’s death.
