New Jersey student athletes decide to take a knee during the national anthem

CAMDEN (WTXF) - In this YouTube video posted online of the pre-game national anthem, the coaches and all but two of the players on the Woodrow Wilson Tigers, kneeled as the band played the star spangled banner.

Hakim Raw said, "They riding with Colin Kaepernick they seen him kneeling and the way he's standing they see how he kneeled, they did the same thing this is actually becoming a movement."

A movement that has spread through the NFL and even spilled on to the high school football field in South Jersey.

Student Tymere Rider said, "It's a good thing it's a bad thing people died for that flag we can have freedom I think doing it for a good reason they try to represent something they don't want have a country with racism disrespect and hatred."

Kaepernick's demonstration for social justice has divided fans and sparked debate over freedom of expression.

"Once a celebrity does it everybody wants to do it so a lot of people are saying it's copycats stuff everyone has their own perspective on it," Angelica Colon said.

Woodrow Wilson Coach Preston Brown told his team that he planned to kneel during the anthem for the high school season opener against Highland High.

Joe Feliciano said, "I think in respect to the national anthem I mean there should always be that kind of respect if it's tradition to stand here you live here you might as well just stand but to each his own."

The Camden School District issued a statement saying, "The district supports standing for the flag but this is a personal issue and we strongly respect our student's experiences and their exercising our country's First Amendment right, whether our students choose to stand, kneel or otherwise we're proud of their engagement with what is more broadly a very important social issue."