Sports players across the country-and in some cases across the world- are taking a knee during the anthem after Trump’s speech last Friday.

In a speech in support for Alabama congressional candidate Luther Strange (R) , President Trump said, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b**** off the field right now, out, he’s fired. He’s fired,’” Trump said. “You know, some owner is going to do that. He’s going to say, ‘That guy that disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it [but] they’ll be the most popular person in this country.”

Kneeling during the anthem started last year in 2016 when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, after the many accounts of police brutality towards African Americans citizens. When the movement first started, Kaepernick protested by sitting on the bench during the anthem, but later decided to kneel because he felt that way he could protest in the most respectful way possible while still getting his point across.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people, and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street, and people getting paid leave, and getting away with murder,” Kaepernick had said after being asked about protesting the first time.

The movement regained momentum after Trump’s speech and now players are not just kneeling in protest of America’s systematic racism, but of Trump himself.

“It’s disheartening and infuriating that President Trump has referred to us with slurs but the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Va., as “very fine people.” His remarks are a clear attempt to deepen the rift that we’ve tried so hard to mend.

I am nevertheless encouraged to see my colleagues and other public figures respond to the president’s remarks with solidarity with us. It is paramount that we take control of the story behind our movement, which is that we seek equality for all Americans, no matter their race or gender,” said Eric Reid, the teammate that kneeled with Kaepernick back in 2016, said.

¨It has always been my understanding that the brave men and women who fought and died for our country did so to ensure that we could live in a fair and free society, which includes the right to speak out in protest,¨ Reid also stated.

In a statement to the press on Wednesday, Reid indicated that he has been in touch with Colin Kaepernick about the weekend’s protests. Reid expressed that “He [Kaepernick] thinks the [weekend’s protest] was a direct response to, obviously, what the president said.” Reid went on to say that he and Kaepernick wish they would have had this weekend’s support last year, as it would have helped to control the narrative surrounding the protests.

Many critics, however, agree with Trump and insist that kneeling is disrespect for our flag and our country. They also argue that football is no place for politics.

“It just blows my mind that somebody like (Kaepernick) would do what he does to dishonor the flag of this country and the national anthem when we have young men and women overseas fighting for this country, people that have died for this country,” said Carol Isham, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Francis Scott Key, the composer of the national anthem.

“Take the politics out of football,” is what the Broncos’ John Elway had to say on the matter.

This is a great debate of belief and ethics over an issue that some say is being wrongfully ignored, while others claim does not exist. Protest never was and never will be comfortable or easy-going, but it is necessary. The public was not very fond of the Civil Rights movement or the Women’s’ Rights movement, but they made a very significant and important change.

As president Theodore Roosevelt said, “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official.”

Ultimately, the question is how should people who feel moved to protest carry out their protests? At this time, there is no clear-cut answer to this question.