Police make arrests over racist abuse of England's Black soccer stars
London — Four people have been arrested as part of a hate crime investigation into racist abuse directed at members of the England national soccer team, British police said Thursday. The investigation is still ongoing, and dozens more reports of abuse are being reviewed.
England faced off against Italy in the European Championship Final on Sunday and lost the game after three of its players missed penalty shots. Those players — Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka — are Black, and were subsequently subjected to torrents of racist abuse online.
"The racial abuse aimed at our own players following Sunday night's game is utterly vile and has quite rightly shocked and appalled people across the country," Chief Constable Mark Roberts said in a statement on Thursday.
"We are working very closely with social media platforms, who are providing data we need to progress enquiries. If we identify that you are behind this crime, we will track you down and you will face the serious consequences of your shameful actions," Roberts continued.
Officials said that their hate crime investigation followed a "night of widespread crime and disorder" in the U.K., after which 897 football-related incidents were recorded and 264 arrests were made in the 24-hour period surrounding the game. They said that there had been a significant increase in criminal incidents connected to this most recent soccer tournament versus earlier ones, like 2018's World Cup.
Meanwhile, government ministers have been criticized for not condemning racist abuse against soccer players early enough, or supporting their fight against it.
Throughout the European Championship tournament, England players had been taking a knee at the start of matches to protest racial inequality, and were sometimes booed by spectators in the stands. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson initially refused to condemn the booing, though he eventually did so. Home Secretary Priti Patel, however, said people should have the right to boo, and said she did not support "gesture politics."
"You don't get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as 'Gesture Politics' & then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we're campaigning against, happens," Tyrone Mings, another player on the England team, said after the torrent of racism and hate following Sunday's match.
But the abuse also triggered an outpouring of support.
Fans gathered around a mural of Markus Rashford that had been defaced and then restored after Sunday's game, leaving offerings and positive messages.
Rashford, who is from Manchester, has campaigned to end food poverty in Britain and for free school meals to be provided to children from low-income households.
"Thank you for lifting the nation's spirits and for being a hero to children. You are a well respected and talented football player. Thank you for everything that you do!" one note left by the mural said.
"He only missed a penalty. He doesn't deserve this," said another.
Two children standing in the crowd that gathered by the mural earlier this week held a placard saying: "Not all heroes wear capes, some wear football boots. We love you Rashford."
After England lost its match to Italy, Rashford put out a statement on Instagram.
"The communities that always wrapped their arms around me continue to hold me up. I'm Marcus Rashfrod, 23 year old, black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else I have that."