Ivorian international Salomon Kalou has revealed why Hertha Berlin players knelt before a German Bundesliga game in protest against racism nearly two weeks ago, which he compared to terrorism.
The 32-year-old and his Berlin team-mates made news with their actions prior to a 2-0 league defeat to FC Schalke, with every starter kneeling on the pitch.
Their actions mirrored protests made in the NFL by the likes of Colin Kaepernick, who adopted ‘take a knee’ during the playing of the United States of America’s national anthem to protest racial injustice and police violence.
U.S.A. President Donald Trump has been one of the most vehement critics of the movment, but according to Kalou taking a knee stands for unity, not division.
“Taking a knee has nothing to do with the flag, but rather showing that we are one as people and that we going to rise together,” Kalou told  Tidesports source.
“A human heart is too tiny to have a place for hate, because hate is such a horrible thing to put in your heart. I feel bad for people who have a lot of hate in their heart.
Kalou, who is a forward by trade, went on to refute criticisms that have been fielded in Germany, with some media outlets dismissing the action as a publicity stunt.
“Some people will see it the wrong way, see it as a PR campaign. I think that if you are against [racism] then you should do something about it,” the former Chelsea star continued.
“Or if you’re not [doing something about it], you should not be criticising people who do something about it.
“Those people who say that you should do something about it: They can’t deny that this kind of behaviour exists. If you say that about people who do this then you should do something to show that you are against that way of behaviour. For me racism is like terrorism.”