Chelsea players take the knee to support Black Lives Matter movement amid George Floyd protests
Chelsea have followed Liverpool's lead in taking a knee to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement amid protests against the death of George Floyd.
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta tweeted a photo of the squad taking a knee at Cobham on Tuesday.
Along with the photo, Azpilicueta wrote: "Enough is enough. We are all HUMANS. Together we are stronger. #BlackLivesMatter".
Chelsea's stance followed on from the Liverpool squad taking a knee at Anfield on Monday to stand by the Black Lives Matter movement following Mr Floyd's death last week.
Unrest began after a video was released showing Mr Floyd falling unconscious as a white police officer kneeled on his neck for at least eight minutes while arresting him in Minneapolis.
The officer in question, Derek Chauvin, has since been fired from the police force, and has been charged with murder and manslaughter.
Protests over Mr Floyd's death have rocked the US for seven consecutive nights, with President Donald Trump threatening to deploy the military to quell the growing unrest.
Several major organisations across the US, including sports franchises, have since shown their support for the protests, while the likes of Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba have also spoken out in defence of Black Lives Matter.
The chairman of Kick It Out has urged all Premier League players to take a knee in protest against racism when the season restarts.
Sanjay Bhandari’s appeal comes as Fifa urged authorities to use “common sense” when considering whether to punish players for protesting against Mr Floyd's death.
The German FA (DFB) said they were considering sanctions against Jadon Sancho, Achraf Hakimi, Weston McKennie and Marcus Thuram for protesting during last weekend’s Bundesliga fixtures, with Thuram taking a knee after scoring for Borussia Monchengladbach.
The gesture became iconic when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem in 2016 in silent protest at police brutality and racism, sparking a period of activism in the NFL.
Read more
Protests over George Floyd's death continue to convulse the US
Kick It Out urge all players to take a knee after George Floyd death
