People have been sharing a black activist's response during a Fox News debate as he defended the decision of a 10-year-old schoolgirl not to stand for the US pledge of allegiance.

Quanell X, the leader of the New Black Panther Party in Houston, was discussing the issue of Skyla Madria with white radio host Matt Patrick, on the Fox News FaceOff show.

The schoolgirl's actions follow those of NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who has repeatedly kneeled during the American national anthem in protest over the treatment of minorities in the US

As the debate became more heated, Mr Patrick questioned Quanell's defence of the child, asking him: "Why don't you move to a different country? Why are you staying here if you don't like it?"

Quanell replied: "The country belongs to Indians [Native Americans], you white folks stole it from them. You all need to go home, you all need to go back where you came from."

He said he saw the pledge of allegiance and the anthem - the Star Spangled Banner - in the same light, highlighting the normally unused third verse, which includes the refrain: "No refuge could save the hireling and slave. From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave".

Mr Patrick said Skyla Madria could not understand the social impact of her actions, which he claimed insulted "white, black and red" Americans who "have fought and died for this country", adding that her parents should have attempted to reason with her.

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But Quanell X responded by saying Skyla's father was in the military, with other family members having worn uniform. He then mentioned the third verse of the anthem and the fact its author, Francis Scott Key, had been a slaveowner.

The black activist drew parallels with Germany, by saying: "Would you ask Jewish students to stand up for a German anthem that disrespected Jewish people? No, you would not."

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When Mr Patrick said her action would be seen as a negative act, Quanell X said: "America looked the same way at Rosa Parks when she refused to give up her seat to a White man on the bus, but history vindicated her.

"America demonised Harriet Tubman for freeing slaves from slavery, but history vindicated her."

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He went on to say black people have fought in all of America's wars without recieving "the justice and due process of everyone else in this nation".