Dominic Raab claims to be lifelong anti-racist campaigner but says he would not take knee

‘We also ought to be tolerated [in] the way we show our solidarity and support for causes like that,’ foreign secretary says

Dominic Raab has doubled down on his aversion to taking the knee in solidarity with anti-racism protesters, claiming to have been a lifelong anti-racism campaigner as he dismissed anger sparked by his suggestion that the protest stance had origins in Game of Thrones.

Mr Raab said he feels uncomfortable with the “broader historical feudal connotation” of the famous protest stance, telling a Channel 4 reporter to “check [their] facts” when asked whether he ought to have known its origins prior to Thursday, saying: “I also referred to the wider history.”

The foreign secretary drew condemnation this week when he said the “taking a knee thing ... seems to be taken from the Game of Thrones“ and felt to him like “a symbol of subjugation and subordination rather than one of liberation and emancipation”.

NFL star Colin Kaepernick’s decision in 2016 to kneel during the US national anthem to protest oppression ignited a global debate, continues to draw the vocal rage of president Donald Trump, and has become synonymous with Black Lives Matter, which Mr Raab repeatedly referred to as “the black lives movement” in his latest exchange on the subject.

Refusing to apologise for his suggestion that the stance was inspired by a fantasy series, he said: “Oh, look, the Twitter and media bubble get very excited about these sorts of things.

“I think people understood that you can support and be a champion for anti-racism while not having to follow particular symbols if you don’t feel comfortable with them. That’s what tolerance is all about.”

Asked whether he would take the knee now, he replied: “No I wouldn’t. Look, I’m very clear on it. I really support the movement. I’ve been an anti-racist campaigner all my life. I’ve worked for human rights organisations [as a] war crimes lawyer before I became a politician.

“For me, whilst I understand it’s not the intention, getting on one knee has a broader historical feudal connotation and I don’t feel comfortable with that.

“But of course I understand that’s not what the black lives movement intended, and just as I tolerate the way other people express themselves, I think we also ought to be tolerated [in] the way we show our solidarity and support for causes like that.”

Mr Raab added that he has “full sympathy and solidarity with what the black lives movement are trying to achieve” and understands that “for many of them, this feels like a way of showing conscientious objection”.

Unlike in his TalkRadio interview, in which he said he would only kneel for “the Queen and the missus”, he acknowledged the stance “dates back to the NFL 2016 circumstances”, adding: “Equally it does have a wider, longer, broader historical significance – a feudal one.”

Under the feudal system, which was legally abolished in England in 1660, part of the ritual in which serfs pledged allegiance to a lord required them to kneel – symbolising their surrender.

Kaepernick’s decision to take the knee some 356 years later was reportedly based upon advice from former NFL star Nate Boyer, who suggested it would be the “most respectful” way to protest during the national anthem, rather than remaining seated.

As the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd sparked global protests against systemic racism and police brutality, many demonstrators and some police officers have taken a knee – from America to Manchester, Bristol, London and Glasgow.

Asked whether he should have known its more recent history on Thursday, Mr Raab said: “Oh I did. I did refer to the wider history.”

When the reporter responded that “you didn’t, you referred to Game of Thrones”, the foreign secretary retorted: “No sorry, you should check your facts. I also referred to the wider history.

“But the bottom line is we ought to have some tolerance [of] the way people show expression[s] of support and sympathy with the black lives movement and I certainly support their aims.”

While his history of anti-racism campaigning is unclear, Mr Raab worked with civil liberties organisation Liberty during his tenure at Linklaters, where he spent less than a year before joining the Foreign Office.

During this period, he headed up a team in the Hague dedicated to bringing war criminals to justice, at one point defending Tony Blair against subpoena by former Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic to testify in his war crimes trial.