The NFL national anthem protests have gone global.
This weekend, Socceroo Mathew Leckie and his Hertha Berlin teammates linked arms and knelt during the German national anthem before a game in Berlin to show solidarity with the athletes protesting against racial inequality in the US.
The team's head coach, Pal Dardai, and the rest of the team's coaching staff also took part in the stunt on the sidelines of the game against Schalke at Olympic Stadium, which Hertha lost 0-2.
"We wanted to show our stand against racism," midfielder Per Skjelbred said after the game.
On Twitter, Hertha tweeted that it stood for "a tolerant Berlin and an open-minded world".
"Hertha BSC stands for tolerance and responsibility. #TakeAKnee," the club said.
German soccer fans 'surprised' but 'neutral'
Just last week US Vice-President Mike Pence walked out of a Colts game in his home state of Indiana with his wife after players knelt during the American national anthem.
President Donald Trump, who opposes the protests, said he had instructed Mr Pence to leave the game if players took the knee.
Critics of the protest in the US say it disrespects the country's flag and military veterans.
But Germany's Bild newspaper said soccer fans at the Hertha-Schalke game were "surprised" but "neutral".
According to Bild, the team's management has denied it was a marketing stunt.
