Members of the Black Lives Matter movement are rallying around the idea that President Trump is a racist as he faces an unprecedented amount of backlash from sports figures over his comments and tweets in recent days about firing NFL players who take a knee during the national anthem.

DeRay Mckesson, who is a leading voice for BLM, said on Saturday that to Trump these players are "mere property" and that the president is "calling out to their 'owners' to discipline them for speaking."

"This sounds familiar," Mckesson exclaimed.

To Trump, the NFL Players are mere property and he is calling out to their “owners” to discipline them for speaking. This sounds familiar. — deray (@deray) September 24, 2017

BLM co-founder Alicia Garza referred to the ongoing clashes between protesters and law enforcement in St. Louis, sharing a tweet that shows an older black woman being "assaulted" by police and saying that "This is what 45 [Trump] endorses" in a tweet that also includes the #takeaknee hashtag.

This is what 45 endorses. #TakeAKnee but also fight back. @LydaKrewson this is UNACCEPTABLE. https://t.co/bDvWE3cgPB — Alicia Garza (@aliciagarza) September 24, 2017

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sparked the kneeling controversy last season when he took a knee during the national anthem to protest the treatment of African Americans and other minorities in the U.S. The move was condemned by many but also celebrated and inspired a number of copycats in the NFL and other sports leagues.

Trump urged NFL team owners at a rally in Alabama Friday evening to get rid of players who kneel during the nation anthem. "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. He is fired. He's fired,'" Trump said. He has been tweeting about it ever since and incensed activists and fans when he withdrew an invitation to NBA player Stephen Curry on Saturday.

Over the weekend, current and former players, and even owners, are taking a knee during the national anthem in a show of defiance to the president's latest comments, and their supporters have been spreading the #takeaknee hashtag on social media, which is trending Sunday.

Opal Tometi, another BLM co-founder, retweeted a message from actor and activist Jesse Williams promoting the kneeling movement. "We're not on the plantation anymore Chump. There will be no 'buck breaking' out here. Fingers on the hand form a fist. #TakeAKnee ‘til free," Williams tweeted.

We’re not on the plantation anymore Chump. There will be no “buck breaking” out here. Fingers on the hand form a fist. #TakeAKnee ‘til free. — jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) September 23, 2017

While players across the sports spectrum, from NFL teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens to the first player to take a knee in Major League Baseball, are kneeling this weekend, BLM activists also fought back against the notion that #takeaknee is about "diversity and inclusion." "Stop that shit. It's about racism and police violence. Full stop," Garza declared.

No y'all kneeling isn't about "diversity and inclusion." Stop that shit. It's about racism and police violence. Full stop. — Alicia Garza (@aliciagarza) September 24, 2017

But Garza did connect the movement to Trump. "#TakeAKnee and fight back by holding NFL owners accountable for their support of the orange devil," she said in a separate tweet.

These same BLM activists also took to opportunity to promote their support for Kaepernick and his career, as he is a free agent and currently without a team.

"Every time I talk to @Kaepernick7, I am reminded that he still trains every day, is committed to playing football, & is ready to play today," said Mckesson.

"If the @NFL cared about what this so called President said, they would hire @Kaepernick7. I'll wait," added Garza.