German soccer team joins NFL players in taking a knee

Before a soccer match in Berlin, German team Hertha Berlin (Hertha BSC) linked arms and took a knee, mirroring professional athletes in the U.S. taking a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice.

Hertha BSC players took to the field and took a knee together before their match against FC Schalke 04 on Saturday, making a gesture "for tolerance and responsibility" and "a tolerant Berlin and an open-minded world," according to the team's Twitter account.

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The #TakeAKnee protest started over a year ago with the former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kaepernick, and spread throughout the NFL and other sports after Donald Trump attacked the league for what he deemed to be unpatriotic behavior. Some individuals have taken to linking arms as a sign of solidarity as well.

Although Hertha BSC did not specifically mention racism, police brutality, or the U.S. player protests, the gesture -- coupled with the team's words on Twitter -- is a clear showing of solidarity and support for the message of unity that lives at the heart of the U.S. protests.

Along with the players on the field, Hertha BSC's other players, coaches, and staff all took a knee on the sidelines.

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Salomon Kalou, forward player on Hertha BSC and the Ivory Coast national team, told the Associated Press that the team was inspired by the U.S. players' protests, and the decision to take a knee was unanimous.

"We stand against racists and that's our way of sharing that," Kalou told AP. "We are always going to fight against this kind of behavior, as a team and as a city."