The Foreign Secretary has said he would not “take a knee” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, arguing that the protest is “a matter of personal choice”.
Asked on Thursday whether he would take part in the symbolic show of support, Dominic Raab said on Thursday: “I take the knee for two people; the Queen and the Mrs when I asked her to marry me.”
Explaining why he would not participate, Mr Raab told TalkRadio: “I understand this sense of frustration and restlessness that it driving the Black Lives Matters [sic] movement.
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“I’ve got to say, on this taking a knee thing, I don’t know, maybe it’s got a broader history but it seems to be taken from The Game of Thrones [sic], 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.”
Mr Raab is one of the prime minister’s top deputies, and covered for Boris Johnson while he was out of action with a Covid-19 infection.
“Taking a knee” as a custom began in 2016 as a protest by US athletes, who knelt on one knee during the US national anthem to highlight racism and police brutality.
The act has since spread and become a broader symbol of solidarity with and support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Foreign Secretary faced criticism for this comments.
“This is not just insulting to the Black Lives Matter movement, it is deeply embarrassing for Dominic Raab,” Labour MP David Lammy said. “He is supposed to be the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom.”
Labour former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott wrote: “Taking the knee began in 2016 with American athletes refusing to stand for US national anthem.
“They were protesting police brutality and racism. But Dominic Raab thinks it comes from Game of Thrones!!!”
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1/21
An aerial photo made with a drone shows a large group gathered in Union Park to protest the arrest of George Floyd, who later died in police custody, in Chicago, Illinois
EPA
2/21
A large group marching and chanting in Chicago, Illinois
EPA/Tannen Maury
3/21
Protesters gather along the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum and Eakins Oval during a protest
AP
4/21
Demonstrators try to block a freeway during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York
REUTERS
5/21
Thousands of demonstrators march across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California
REUTERS
6/21
Demonstrators gather at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington
REUTERS
7/21
Demonstrators march down Flatbush Avenue toward the Manhattan Bridge chanting slogans
REUTERS
8/21
Protesters take part in a demonstration to protest in support of the George Floyd protests in the United States, and also to commemorate a similar circumstance in France when Adama Traore, a 24-year-old Frenchman was killed in 2016 by police, during an rally in Champ de Mars next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris
EPA
9/21
Demonstrators attend a protest in Berlin, Germany
FABRIZIO BENSCH/REUTERS
10/21
Demonstrators protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Sydney
RON SHAMGAR via REUTERS
11/21
Demonstrators attend a Black Lives Matter protest to express solidarity with US protestors in Sydney
AFP via Getty Images
12/21
People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens, UK
PA
13/21
People wearing masks hold placards during a protest march over the alleged police abuse of a Turkish man, in echoes of a Black Lives Matter protest, following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, in Tokyo
REUTERS/Issei Kato
14/21
Demonstrators attend a protest against police brutality in Frankfurt
REUTERS
15/21
Demonstrators attend a protest against police brutality at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany
REUTERS
16/21
People stand in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds in tribute to George Floyd during a protest against racism and police brutality in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Getty Images
17/21
Thousands of people demonstrate in Cologne, Germany
AP
18/21
Demonstrators hold placards as they attend a protest march to the US Embassy in London
AFP via Getty Images
19/21
Demonstrators cross the River Thames via Vauxhall Bridge as they march to protest outside the US Embassy in London
AFP via Getty Images
20/21
Demonstrators gather for a protest against racism and police violence in Lisbon
AP
21/21
Boxer Anthony Joshua is seen on crutches with demonstrators in Watford, Britain
REUTERS
1/21
An aerial photo made with a drone shows a large group gathered in Union Park to protest the arrest of George Floyd, who later died in police custody, in Chicago, Illinois
EPA
2/21
A large group marching and chanting in Chicago, Illinois
EPA/Tannen Maury
3/21
Protesters gather along the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum and Eakins Oval during a protest
AP
4/21
Demonstrators try to block a freeway during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York
REUTERS
5/21
Thousands of demonstrators march across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California
REUTERS
6/21
Demonstrators gather at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington
REUTERS
7/21
Demonstrators march down Flatbush Avenue toward the Manhattan Bridge chanting slogans
REUTERS
8/21
Protesters take part in a demonstration to protest in support of the George Floyd protests in the United States, and also to commemorate a similar circumstance in France when Adama Traore, a 24-year-old Frenchman was killed in 2016 by police, during an rally in Champ de Mars next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris
EPA
9/21
Demonstrators attend a protest in Berlin, Germany
FABRIZIO BENSCH/REUTERS
10/21
Demonstrators protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Sydney
RON SHAMGAR via REUTERS
11/21
Demonstrators attend a Black Lives Matter protest to express solidarity with US protestors in Sydney
AFP via Getty Images
12/21
People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens, UK
PA
13/21
People wearing masks hold placards during a protest march over the alleged police abuse of a Turkish man, in echoes of a Black Lives Matter protest, following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, in Tokyo
REUTERS/Issei Kato
14/21
Demonstrators attend a protest against police brutality in Frankfurt
REUTERS
15/21
Demonstrators attend a protest against police brutality at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany
REUTERS
16/21
People stand in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds in tribute to George Floyd during a protest against racism and police brutality in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Getty Images
17/21
Thousands of people demonstrate in Cologne, Germany
AP
18/21
Demonstrators hold placards as they attend a protest march to the US Embassy in London
AFP via Getty Images
19/21
Demonstrators cross the River Thames via Vauxhall Bridge as they march to protest outside the US Embassy in London
AFP via Getty Images
20/21
Demonstrators gather for a protest against racism and police violence in Lisbon
AP
21/21
Boxer Anthony Joshua is seen on crutches with demonstrators in Watford, Britain
REUTERS
Later the same day Mr Raab added to his earlier comments, tweeting: “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.”
Downing Street declined to say whether Mr Raab had been ordered to issue the clarification, but said that Boris Johnson had not spoken to him about his comments.
The PM’s official spokesman distanced Mr Johnson from the foreign secretary’s remarks telling reporter that Mr Raab was “very clear he was expressing a personal opinion”.
But he refused to discuss whether the PM himself would be willing to take a knee, saying only: “It’s not something that has happened, but you have got his words on what he wants to focus on in response to the protests and demonstrations and the very strong feelings we have seen over the last couple of weeks. We set up the race commission to focus on a positive agenda for change.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer last week tweeted a picture of himself taking a knee in his parliamentary office in support of protesters.
