Premier League: Support for Black Lives Matter is ‘not political’
The Premier League has stated its anti-racist Black Lives Matter campaign does not back any organisation or motion with a political program.
The UK branch of Black Lives Matter has actually been cause for some issue after it posted on social media about defunding the cops, calling for the taking apart of commercialism and concerns relating to Israel and Palestine.
In a declaration, the league declared its dedication to its anti-racism campaign, although it was “aware of the risk posed by groups that seek to hijack popular causes and campaigns”.
It stated such actions are “entirely unwelcome and are rejected by the Premier League”.
Some players have actually started distancing themselves from BLM UK, with former Stoke City midfielder Karl Henry stating that there requires to be a “politically-neutral anti-racism movement”.
“I think the majority of the UK have now had enough of that organisation,” he tweeted.
I believe most of the UK have actually now had enough of that organisation.
A brand-new inclusive and politically-neutral anti-racism motion to follow and support is much required.
Black people’s lives matter!
The dissentious #BlackLivesMatter organisation, nevertheless, DOES NOT! https://t.co/ekdjfvw5Dx
— Karl Henry (@karlhenry08)June 29, 2020
After BLM UK posted a series of tweets over the weekend, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer informed BBC Breakfast it was a “shame” the belief behind the UK motion was “getting tangled up with these organisational issues”.
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He added that it was “nonsense” for the group to contact us to “defund the police”.
In reaction to his remarks, BLM UK tweeted that Sir Kier “was a cop in an expensive suit”.
BLM UK has actually likewise been implicated of antisemitism after airing its support for Palestinians on Twitter.
One tweet read: “As Israel moves forward with the annexation of the West Bank, and mainstream British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism, and Israel’s settler colonial pursuits, we loudly and clearly stand beside our Palestinian comrades.”
The UK’s Board of Deputies promptly reacted to the tweets and declared the far left and far ideal were attempting to “divide black and Jewish communities”.
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Marie van der Zyl, president of the board, stated in a declaration: “It is beyond disappointing that the Black Lives Matter UK, supposedly an anti-racist organisation has leaned into the antisemitic trope that British politics is ‘gagged’ in terms of debating Israel, a claim particularly preposterous because Israel is one of the most-discussed foreign policy issues in this country.”
The Premier League’s declaration was launched after its president Richard Masters was grilled by British MPs at a hearing on Tuesday about its support for the BLM motion.
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Mr Masters protected clubs and players for using “Black Lives Matter” on their t-shirts and explained the cause as an ethical one at the hearing of the Digital, Culture, Media & & Sport (DCMS) Committee on Tuesday.
When the league rebooted previously this month after a three-month blockage due to the COVID-19 crisis, players from all 20 clubs changed their names with “Black Lives Matter” on the back of their t-shirts.
All 22 players and the referee “took a knee” in support of the motion at the first Premier League match at Rental Property Park.
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