Entire high school baseball team kneels during national anthem in Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO) — An Iowa high school baseball team took a knee in protest during their game Monday night.

The entire Des Moines Roosevelt baseball team kneeled as the national anthem played.

The kneeling comes as protests continue around the world over the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others who have been killed by police.

Athletes have used kneeling during the national anthem as a way to protest police brutality and racial injustices in America. Colin Kaepernick controversially began the peaceful protest during the 2016 NFL season.

Des Moines Roosevelt Activities Manager Tracy Johnson says he supports the team’s decision to kneel during the anthem. 

“It made me feel good because our kids are in it together,” said Johnson. “We want those kids to be able to express themselves, and it was neat for us to see all of our kids do that.”

Iowa is the first state in the country to resume high school sports since the COVID-19 shutdown began.