Singer takes knee during performance of national anthem at Nets game

[October 21, 2017]    (Reuters) - Singer Justine Skye dropped to a knee toward the end of her rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner prior to the Brooklyn Nets home opener against the Orlando Magic on Friday.

Some NFL players have sat or taken a knee during renditions of the song the past two seasons to protest racial inequality in the United States but NBA players have stood in accordance with league rules.

 Singer Justine Skye arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, U.S., August 28, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

The protests have raised the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, who says the players are being disrespectful to the country and the military.

In an online post, the 22-year-old Brooklyn native said she was uneasy about singing the song to begin with and said she probably would not be asked to do so again.

"I had to take a knee for the opening game in my city and let my voice be heard," Skye wrote in an Instagram post along with a video of the performance.

"We will not be silenced," she said, adding an emoji of a clenched fist and the hashtag #blacklivesmatter.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.