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DENVER — Actress Gabrielle Union spoke about the stance Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall has taken with the national anthem.

Marshall followed the lead of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick by taking a knee during the anthem on Thursday before the Broncos’ regular-season opener against the Carolina Panthers,

Kaepernick began the protest over what he deems are wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in the U.S.

The next day, Air Academy Federal Credit Union said it was ending its relationship with Marshall. On Monday, CenturyLink cut ties with the linebacker.

In an interview to promote her new movie “The Birth of a Nation,” which tells the story of slave Nat Turner who led an uprising against slave owners, Union was vocal and passionate about racial equality.

And she sees a connection with the fight of injustice in the film and in real life.

“There’s nothing more patriotic than acts of resistance,” she said. “It’s the same reason B. Marshall of the Broncos, the day after taking a knee was stripped of his endorsement. After he made it quite clear he’s not anti-military, he’s not anti-police. He’s anti-inequality. He’s anti-oppression.

“If we punish those who speak out … what are we really saying who’s patriotic and what’s American?”