DOMINIC RAAB on Thursday (18) sparked mockery and dismay by suggesting the anti-racism protest of taking the knee was a symbol of "subjugation" that originated with the Game of Thrones.
Premier League footballers took a knee on Wednesday evening in solidarity with demonstrations across the world sparked by the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by US police.
"I understand this sense of frustration and restlessness which is driving the Black Lives Matter movement," the foreign secretary told Talk Radio when asked about the incident.
"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 (hit TV show) 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."
He added: "I take the knee for two people, the queen and the Mrs (his wife) when I asked her to marry me."
Labour lawmakers were incredulous.
"'Taking the knee' began in 2016 with American athletes refusing to stand for the US national anthem," said Diane Abbott, who in 1987 had become Britain's first female black MP and still serves in the House of Commons.
"They were protesting police brutality and racism. But @DominicRaab thinks it comes from Game of Thrones!!!"
Her fellow Labour MP David Lammy said Raab's comments were "insulting" to the Black Lives Matter movement and also "deeply embarrassing" for Britain's top diplomat.
National Football League star Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the US national anthem in August 2016 to draw attention to racial injustice, and the symbolic action spread.
The quarterback filed a grievance with the NFL in 2017 alleging that the owners conspired to keep him out of the league as a result, and last year, he settled for an undisclosed amount of money.
Following Raab's comments, social media was filled with posts on the history of taking the knee, with some saying it was a military tradition and many recalling US Martin Luther King Jr.
After the subject went viral, Raab tweeted: "To be clear: I have full respect for the Black Lives Matter movement, and the issues driving them.
"If people wish to take a knee, that's their choice and I respect it. We all need to come together to tackle any discrimination and social injustice."
Dharavi slum in Mumbai
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)