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World Cup winner encourages football players to join in anti-Trump protests

Lilian Thuram who won a World Cup with France in 1998, knelt as he received an honorary doctorate in Sweden.

FRENCH WORLD CUP winner Lilian Thuram joined the sporting community’s protests against Donald Trump on Friday when he took a knee at a ceremony in Sweden, claiming it was a gesture against “inequality and injustice.”

He also believes that other football players should get involved in this movement against the US President.

The 45-year-old, who was part of the French team which won the 1998 World Cup on home soil, decided to kneel as he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Stockholm at city hall.

We must all be in solidarity with these athletes, singers in the United States, and show solidarity against inequality, against injustice,” said Thuram.

“There is a racial problem, but it is not just the United States. It unfortunately also concerns Sweden, it concerns France.”

His gesture at the Stockholm event drew warm applause from the audience.

Speaking to Reuters at the event, Thuram said that other football players should participate in this protest.

I would love it if soccer players did it (took a knee). I think it would be fascinating to see that, and not just black players either.

“I hope that this resistance movement will spread itself outside the USA and that more people, regardless of skin color, follow in their footsteps to create a better society.”

More than 150 NFL players chose to kneel during the national anthem last week in reaction to critical comments made by Trump. He said that players who chose to take a knee during The Star-Spangled Banner are “sons of bitches” who should be fired.

© AFP 2017

Additional reporting by Sinéad Farrell

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