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It is unclear which of the San Francisco 49ers cheerleaders kneeled during the National Anthem (stock photo)
A cheerleader of the San Francisco 49ers appeared to kneel at the US National Anthem in an NFL game Thursday, echoing recent protests from players.
The woman, who was not identified, was photographed kneeling before the team's match against the Oakland Raiders.
The 49ers are the former team of Colin Kaepernick, who was kneeling at the national anthem in protest in 2016.
His goal was to highlight police brutality against African Americans.
- Decode the NFL protests
- Kaepernick: From a man to a movement
While the rest of the team of cheerleaders held the pom-poms in unison during the starry banner, a woman knelt and put her hands on her hips.
If her gesture is confirmed as a protest, it would make her the first cheerleader to participate in such an event.
The NFL protests began in 2016, when Kaepernick – then the 49ers' quarterback – refused to defend the national anthem.
Similar protests spread to other teams, some choosing to tie their arms in solidarity rather than kneeling.
But the action has been controversial and has sparked criticism from fans and US President Donald Trump.
He called the players who "disrespect" the American flag "son of a bitch" and called for them to be fired.
Kaepernick terminated his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in March 2017 and is now suing the National Football League, arguing that team owners deliberately froze him because of his activism.
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Reuters
Two Miami Dolphins players kneel to the national anthem before a game in September against the Oakland Raiders
In May, the American football league announced that NFL teams would be fined if their players kneeled under the national anthem.
Those who do not wish to stay can stay in the locker room until the end of the star-spangled banner, the league said.
- What should Americans do during the anthem?
President Trump welcomed this decision, saying that players who did not stand up "might not be in the country".
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In an October 2017 article, a number of former cheerleaders told ELLE magazine that they would never have taken part in the protests.
"If I were still a cheerleader, I would not get down on my knees, it 's not my job," said one of them to the magazine. "I would be frustrated by what is happening in the country, but I will put my thoughts and opinions aside and continue to move forward."
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