Thierry Henry has shown his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The French, now the Montreal Impact coach, returned to competition on Thursday and knelt for a tribute to George Floyd, a black American asphyxiated by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25.
At the start of the match against New England Revolution, as part of the tournament organized by the North American Football League (MLS), Thierry Henry, wearing a "Black Lives Matter" t-shirt, knelt for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
8 minutes and 46 seconds.
A powerful tribute to #BlackLivesMatter from @ ThierryHenry. # IMFC pic.twitter.com/tE8Rq0f3Y1
These 8 minutes have become the symbol of police violence, they represent the time during which the policeman maintained his knee on George Floyd. Although since then, prosecutors have estimated the actual duration at 7 minutes and 46 seconds.
“I don't know what we will be allowed to do or not to support the cause (Black Lives Matter). There is something I would like to do but I keep it to myself, "said Thierry Henry last week.
Thierry Henry also wrote in early June a message on his Instagram account in which he called for change to end injustices and racial violence.
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Many athletes have also shown their support for the movement in recent weeks. In mid-June for example in England, the players of the Premier League also put one knee on the ground. Among basketball players, LeBron James was one of the first to come forward for "Black Lives Matter".