'Taking the knee' seems to be from Game of Thrones, says UK foreign minister

London, June 18

British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Thursday that “taking the knee” seems to have come from the fantasy TV drama series “Game of Thrones” and felt like a symbol of subjugation and subordination.

The death in Minneapolis of a black man, George Floyd, after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes has sparked protests around the world, with many demonstrators kneeling in streets and squares to protest against racism.

The position was adopted by National Football League player Colin Kaepernick to call attention to racial injustice during the playing of the U.S. national anthem, and has been adopted by many sports players since.

In England, Premier League players including champions Manchester City took a knee before kickoff in support of the “Black Lives Matter” movement when the season restarted on Wednesday.

Raab, asked if he would adopt the position during a TalkRadio interview on Thursday, said he understood the sense of frustration and restlessness which is driving the Black Lives Matter movement.

He added: “I’ve got to say on this ‘taking the knee’ thing, which I don’t know, maybe it’s got a broader history but it seems to be taken from the Game of Thrones.

“It feels to me like a symbol of subjugation and subordination rather than one of liberation and emancipation.

But I understand people feel differently about it so it’s a matter of personal choice.”

Asked again if he would take a knee to protest, he said: “I take the knee for two people, the queen and the missus when I asked her to marry me.”

In “Game of Thrones”, the phrase “bending the knee” is used when someone pledges fealty to a monarch or lord. — Reuters