Former NFL star and activist Colin Kaepernick spoke out on social media regarding the recent death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died earlier this week shortly after being placed in police custody in Minneapolis.

“When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction,” the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback tweeted on Thursday afternoon. “The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance.”

“We have the right to fight back! Rest in Power George Floyd,” he added.

When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction.

The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance.

We have the right to fight back!

Rest in Power George Floyd

— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) May 28, 2020

A Minneapolis police officer pinned Floyd, 46, to the ground and pressed his knee into his neck. In footage of the Monday arrest, Floyd could be heard saying, “I can’t breathe” as the officer, who has since been fired, continued to hold his knee on his neck. Floyd died at a hospital later that day.

A meme juxtaposing a photo of the officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck with another showing Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games years ago have spread across social media in recent days. 

Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James was one of many who shared the meme online, writing in a message accompanying the visual on Instagram, “Do you understand NOW!!??!!?? Or is it still blurred to you?? #StayWoke.” 

Kaepernick began kneeling during the 2016 NFL season to protest police brutality and racial inequality while he was still playing for the San Francisco 49ers. As a result, he became the target of much criticism from President Trump and conservatives for his protests. He hasn’t played in the league since that season.