Arsenal players on the Emirates Stadium pitch. Photo: @Arsenal

ARSENAL sent out a message of solidarity when teammates lined up together on the halfway line at the Emirates Stadium to “take a knee” following the worldwide protests against racial injustice.

The players were at the stadium to play a friendly match against Brentford on Wednesday afternoon. As they warmed up for the game, every player wore a black and white t-shirt with a message of support.

One said “silence is violence”, another said “we stand for you”.

Hector Bellerin, the Spanish defender, wore a T-shirt which read: “I’m not black, but I stand with you.”

“Taking a knee” emerged as an act of protest in the United States when American footballers refused to stand for the national anthem as a demonstration against deaths in police custody.