Activists at city council meeting kneel in solidarity with ex-NFL QB Colin Kaepernick

Sixteen activists on Tuesday morning kneeled during a San Diego City Council meeting in a show of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, a former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who sparked controversy last year with his national anthem protests before games.

Kaepernick, a star for Pitman High's football team in Turlock, drew national attention last season when he knelt during the national anthem as a protest of social injustice.

The activists in San Diego kneeled during the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the city council meeting, TV news station CBS 8 reported.

Along with showing support for Kaepernick, the activists said they wanted to show their support for suspended ESPN anchor Jemele Hill and a local man they contend was a victim of racial profiling. 

CBS 8 reported that the protest was peaceful and didn't elicit immediate comment from the council members or audience.

"You look around the country at the racial divide, it's a huge issue," Rev. Shane Harris of the San Diego chapter of the National Action Network told reporters after the short protest. 

NFL owners are expected to meet next week to consider changes to a game manual that says players "should" stand during the national anthem, a guideline the league has left to the discretion of players who have kneeled in large numbers this season after criticism from President Donald Trump., The Associated Press reported.

This story was originally published October 10, 2017 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Activists at city council meeting kneel in solidarity with ex-NFL QB Colin Kaepernick."