Players say the protest isn’t about disrespecting the flag or military but rather systemic oppression they believe minorities face daily.

“The meme surfaced after several weeks of discussion on social media about the negative issue with NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem,” Secrist wrote. “We were only showcasing the heroic acts of our Brothers and Sisters in Las Vegas.”

The post, according to Secrist, received an “overwhelmingly” positive response. It also received considerable backlash, though the police union president said he expected negative comments.

Many accused the organization of willingly furthering the divide between Tulsa’s black community and law enforcement.

Others said the post exploited the shooting that left nearly 60 people dead and hundreds more injured.

One comment stated that the post shows that the police union hasn’t given “an iota of thought to the concerns of millions of people who care about police brutality.”

“I don’t know who is responsible for this, but you’ve set back the reputation and good will toward (the Tulsa Police Department) in the minds of the people who need to trust you the most,” the comment said.