Mikel Arteta joins players in taking a knee before Wednesday's friendly
Friday 12 June 2020 15:02, UK
Arsenal players wore Black Lives Matter T-shirts and took a knee ahead of their friendly against Brentford on Wednesday night.
Athletes across the world, including Premier League footballers Raheem Sterling, and Tyrone Mings have joined in support of protests triggered by the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in US police custody last month.
Photographs shared by Arsenal on social media show the squad warming up in the T-shirts, which carried a variety of messages in support of black communities.
Bukayo Saka wore a shirt which read: 'My skin is not a crime', while Hector Bellerin who was pictured training beside wore a shirt that said: "I'm not black but I stand with you".
A T-shirt worn by Kieran Tierney read: "I can't breathe".
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta took a knee alongside his team, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Matteo Guendouzi among the players pictured in the photographs.
Patrick van Aanholt says he is "100 per cent prepared" to take a knee in his first game back in the Premier League.
The defender has told Sky Sports News he has been left "hurt" and "upset" by the death of Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
Van Aanholt has been vocal in his support for anti-racist movements that have followed and has been in an ongoing Twitter argument with media personality Katie Hopkins.
And in an exclusive Q&A with Sky Sports News he has now revealed he is ready to continue protests when the Premier League returns by taking a knee ahead of kick-off in Crystal Palace's first game back against Bournemouth on June 20.
Eintracht Frankfurt changed their team shirt to display "#blacklivesmatter" on the front for their 2-1 German Cup semi-final loss at Bayern Munich on Wednesday to take a stand against racism, the club said.
"Tonight: Make your mark. Black heart. Every day: Listen. Understand. Question. Stand. Speak up. Fight for tolerance and diversity. Overcome racism," Frankfurt said.
The white shirt displayed the line in black letters, larger than the name of the team's sponsor.
Several Bundesliga clubs and players have shown their support for the protests by going down on one knee ahead of league games in recent weeks.
Major sports have also moved to allow protests following George Floyd's death in Minnesota on May 25, including FIFA and the NFL.
