A petition to ban racists from all football matches in England for life has now surpassed one million signatures.
Set up by fans, who call themselves #TheThreeHijabis, the petition called on the Football Association and government to work together to ban those who carried out racial abuse online and offline.
Several players were subjected to appalling racism in the aftermath of the Euro2020 final last Sunday, with Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all having their pages flooded with xenophobic comments.
No brainer. I am not even English and I feel incredibly proud of this England team.
— Chris Minnoch (@ChrisLAPG) July 12, 2021
Football Association AND Oliver Dowden Sec of State DCMS. PM Boris Johnson: Ban racists for life from all football matches in England* – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/MfEsh3r5RL via @UKChange
“As multi-racial football fans, we finally feel represented by this anti-racist and inclusive England team. We could not be more proud or inspired by our magnificent team and by their talent, bravery, leadership and love for all,” the petition reads.
“Gareth Southgate’s England team plays for ALL of us. Their vision is an inclusive vision and this matters more than EVER – it’s why we feel proud of this team and why they’re so cherished and loved by many of us.
“There should be no room for racists and bigotry in football or society.
“Our England team stood up for all of us – now we must stand up for them.”
Stand Up To Racism
Meanwhile, hundreds of people have taken the knee beside the repaired mural of Marcus Rashford in a show of solidarity for the England footballer.
Marcus Rashford’s defaced mural is currently under repair after being emblazoned with heartfelt messages of support in his hometown of Manchester.
It comes after the 23-year-old footballer released a statement saying he will never apologise for who he is after the word “F**k* was scrawled over the artwork in Withington.
Dozens of people have been gathered outside the mural. Stand up to Manchester are handing out posters. One of the organisers has just told told crowd the plan is for everyone to take the knee at 6pm pic.twitter.com/Lw8qifBBIv
— Chris Slater (@chrisslaterMEN) July 13, 2021
Related: Sadiq Khan: Masks will remain mandatory on London transport
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