Nike's shares fell nearly four per cent on Tuesday after the company announced their new ad campaign featuring NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The announcement was followed by protestors burning Nike apparel and tweeting pictures of it with the hashtag #JustBurnIt playing with Nike's slogan 'Just Do It'. Tweets with hashtag #BoycottNike flooded Twitter as on Monday as Nike announced that Kaepernick is one of the athletes helping them commemorate the 30th anniversary of the brand's slogan.

Kaepernick was the first National Football League (NFL) player to kneel during the national anthem showcasing protest against racism. Nike has sponsored Kaepernick since 2011 and is currently part of a new deal for a signature shoe and apparel. Kaepernick then with the San Francisco 49ers, hasn't played since the end of the 2016 season and also alleged that the owners conspired to keep him out for his protest. NFL National Anthem Protest: Miami Dolphins Players Raise Fists, Kneel, Walks Out Before NFL Preseason Opener 2018

People took to Twitter with photos and video of burning Nike products like their shoes and socks. Meanwhile, some said that instead of burning good products, people can give it away to those in need. Actor James Woods took to Twitter saying that he sold off all of his Nike shares and encouraged others to follow suit.

Here is the Nike ad that created the havoc:

Inspired by Kaepernick other players had also similarly knelt down during the national anthem protesting multiple police shootings of unarmed black men.  The new Nike ad is close-up of Kaepernick’s face with the words: 'Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything'.

American President Donald Trump has been highly critical of the athletes' act and had said that he would love to see NFL owners fire football players who disrespect the American flag and also tagged them as 'sons of bitches'. While backlash flooded the internet, athletes including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Serena Williams and Chris Paul shared Kaepernick's ad on their social media handles supporting him.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2018 09:33 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).