Berlin (AFP)
Schalke 04 midfielder Weston McKennie wore a "Justice for George" armband in a Bundesliga match on Saturday, adding his voice to the wave of protests sparked by the death of African-American George Floyd 46, after his arrest Monday in Minneapolis.
"To be able to use this forum to draw attention to a problem that has been going on for too long, it feels good !!!", tweeted McKennie, 21, after the lost home encounter (0-1) against Werder Bremen.
"We have to stand up for what we believe in and I think it's about time we are heard! #Justiceforgeorgefloyd #saynotoracism," added the African American player.
A video filmed by passers-by has gone viral since Monday. It shows a white policeman in the city of Minneapolis tackle George Floyd on the ground and keep his knee on his neck for long minutes, when the latter says he can no longer breathe.
His death following this arrest has led in recent days to demonstrations and riots in the city but also in the rest of the United States, even outside the White House.
The emotion crossed the American borders, and calls to make justice to George Floyd multiplied on the social networks in several countries.
Besides McKennie, other American sportspeople, like tennis player Coco Gauff, reacted to Floyd's death. "Am I next?" she wondered in a TikTok video of her Twitter feed.
McKennie grew up in Texas, but spent part of his childhood in Germany and joined Schalke 04 in 2016.
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