Anti-racism Group Questions England Not Taking Knee

The caput of football's world anti-discrimination body, Fare, has questioned England's determination to extremity taking nan knee earlier Euro 2025 matches aft defender Jess Carter suffered racist maltreatment connected societal media.

On Sunday, nan Lionesses said they would extremity nan anti-racism motion arsenic it was "clear we and shot request to find different measurement to tackle racism".

The Football Association (FA) is said to beryllium afloat supportive of nan Lionesses' decision, and shares nan squad's position that thing other is now needed.

Fare's executive head Piara Powar said it was clip for regulator Ofcom to return action against societal media platforms, but besides expressed disappointment astatine England's stance.

"The players person taken a determination to extremity taking nan knee, which is their right," Powar told BBC Sport.

"I personally don't spot nan nexus betwixt nan two. The taking of nan knee is simply a powerful anti-racist enactment and this England squad person shown activity crossed Europe successful taking it for truthful long.

"Powerful actions are needed correct now, to woody pinch nan issues that are being played retired arsenic we speak."

In October 2023, nan Online Safety Act became rule dictating that societal media platforms person a work to protect users from contented specified arsenic racism, decease threats and calls for violence.

Powar says it is now clip for Ofcom to return action.

"The group maltreatment of Jess Carter highlights again really toxic immoderate societal media users are," he said. "It besides raises nan mobility of nan work of nan platforms to place and region harmful maltreatment specified arsenic racism.

"In this respect it is simply a very timely trial for nan Online Safety Act which seeks to protect users and modulate societal media platforms.

"The enactment came into unit successful nan autumn and Ofcom gained powers to enforce successful March. There doesn't look to beryllium immoderate nationalist accusation disposable connected action taken against nan platforms frankincense far."

Meanwhile, Shaista Aziz, co-director of The Three Hijabis - an anti-racism run group up successful consequence to racism against players successful nan men's Euros last successful 2021 - said nan Lionesses' determination was "powerful".

"Taking nan knee is simply a symbolic anti-racism enactment that was developed successful nan US and it has a very agelong bequest pinch nan civilian authorities activity and everything else," Aziz told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I deliberation what nan Lionesses are doing now is taking this to different level wherever they are saying that nan symbolism has been hijacked by those who want to sow further section and support going connected astir alleged 'woke' civilization successful narration to nan knee being taken by footballers. They are taking it backmost and claiming nan symbolism backmost by saying that it is not working.

"This is what nan Lionesses person said and I deliberation that is besides really powerful."

UK premier curate Sir Keir Starmer said: "There is nary spot for racism successful shot aliases anyplace successful society.

"I guidelines pinch Jess, nan Lionesses, and immoderate players who person suffered racism, connected and disconnected nan pitch."

Last month, nan PM told nan BBC nan authorities will research whether further protective measures tin beryllium put successful spot connected societal media platforms.

Sanjay Bhandari, president of anti-discrimination group Kick It Out, told Sky News "the societal media companies request to do acold more".

"They've really gone backwards complete nan past 4 aliases 5 years, not forwards. It's sewage worse connected societal media, not better," he said.

"And they request to supply america pinch nan devices to thief support america safe and to region immoderate of this toxicity from nan platforms. They're conscionable not doing enough."

The BBC person approached respective awesome societal media platforms for comment.

It has not been a soft tourney for Carter, who has started each crippled successful defence for England, switching from left-back to centre-back aft a difficult acquisition successful nan opening-game defeat by France.

England's protect portion has been scrutinised for respective months because of their inconsistency, and Carter besides endured a reliable clip against Sweden successful their quarter-final, which nan Lionesses won connected penalties aft coming backmost from 2-0 down to tie 2-2.

She was sent racist maltreatment connected societal media pursuing that game, but it is not thing caller to women's football.

During nan 2023 Women's World Cup, guardant Lauren James, now 23, suffered akin maltreatment erstwhile she was sent disconnected for opinionated connected nan backmost of Nigeria guardant Michelle Alozie successful their last-16 victory.

James' nine Chelsea condemned further online abuse erstwhile she was again targeted pursuing a Women's Super League (WSL) conclusion by Arsenal successful December 2023.

The Lionesses person often aligned pinch each different successful nan look of specified abuse, and it was a player-led determination for Carter, nan FA and immoderate of her team-mates to raise nan matter again connected Sunday.

Carter's position successful nan squad for Tuesday's semi-final against Italy was not assured, pinch Esme Morgan pushing for a commencement aft a bully capacity successful nan triumph complete Sweden.

England head Sarina Wiegman will person a determination to make connected whether to protect Carter from further abuse, which has grown during nan tournament.