Reuters
Every player from the North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns took a knee during the U.S. national anthem and wore t-shirts with the slogan “Black Lives Matter” prior to their National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) match on Saturday.
In a joint statement, the players said they did so to protest racial injustice, police brutality and systemic racism against Black people and other people of color in America.
“We love our country and we have taken this opportunity to hold it to a higher standard,” the players said.