Real Madrid’s Marcelo kneels after scoring a goal in the match against Eibar on June 14 in Madrid, Spain
After a number of stars in Germany’s Bundesliga voiced their support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement over recent weeks, Real Madrid’s Brazilian international Marcelo made his own individual act of solidarity during a match on Sunday.
With Real 2-0 up against Eibar, Marcelo netted Los Blancos’ third goal and celebrated by kneeling and raising his fist.
Both actions echoed those of past athletes’ protests.
While playing for the San Francisco 49ers, former NFL star Colin Kaepernick knelt during the US national anthem to protest police brutality against African Americans.
Olympic medal winners John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised their fists on the podium at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City during the US national anthem.
The gesture has been adopted many times since, and many have raised their fists during the Black Lives Matter protests in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.
