An Ohio high school has indefinitely suspended two football players for defying orders from the administration and taking “Thin Blue Line” and “Thin Red Line” flags onto the field, as part of a 9/11 tribute.

Ahead of their Sept. 11 game, cornerback Brady Williams and linebacker Jared Bentley, who played on the Little Miami High School’s football team, ran out onto the field carrying the pro-police flags they were told not to display.

After suspending the students, the Morrow, Ohio, school reported that the pair asked to take the flags out onto the field but were denied permission to do so, and in a statement, the school decried the media attention to their actions.

“Little Miami is saddened to see this story take such a negative turn. While we understand these students’ desire (to) show their support of first responders, they did not obtain permission from district officials. Administrators must act when students break the rules,” the school said in a statement according to Fox 19.