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Sport: Racism, racist violence and hate speech in sporting venues (and reporting and policing thereof)?

Code:
RED124
Key Area:
Public Life, Culture, Sport & Media
Strand(s):
Racism
15/12/2011 - 13:29
Short Answer

Racist incidents are rare in most sports, except for football. Most of the positive initiatives regarding racism in sport are undertaken by the Never Again Association, which conducts its activities under the slogan Let’s Kick Racism out of Stadiums.

Qualitative Info

Racist incidents are rare in most sports, except for football, where they are much more common. In the case of other sports some single incidents have been observed (speed racing, basketball). Several types of racist incidents recurring at Polish football stadiums may be distinguished. The first one includes acts directed against players of darker skin colour which consist in making hooting sounds to imitate those produced by monkeys whenever they have the ball, throwing bananas at them and calling them names. Also, some several physical attacks on black players have been reported. Second type of incidents directed against all ‘foreign’ players consist in shouting racist slogans, hanging banners with such slogans as well as adding Nazi symbols and stylistics to the club flags and banners. Another type of incidents includes behaviour of anti-Semitic character (shouts, chants, notices).


Most of the positive initiatives regarding racism in sport are undertaken by the Never Again Association, which conducts its activities under the slogan Let’s Kick Racism out of Stadiums. The association’s activities include, among others, printing and distributing, mainly during football matches, leaflets, booklets and posters containing anti-racist slogans, preparing shirts with the campaign’s slogans, as well as persuading players to put them on during the matches, organising the Polish Football Championships of Anti-racist Amateur Teams with the participation minorities and migrants. Never Again also conducts monitoring of racist incidents in football. Some actions against racism in sport have been undertaken by some public bodies.  For example, the annual  ‘Stop Racism in Sport’ journalist competition, was initiated by the Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment. On 16 October 2009, the No – to racism in sports declaration was signed during a conference organized by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, and the Polish Olympic Committee. In addition to the organizers, acclaimed Polish athletes and over 40 sport organizations signed the declaration.

 


Sources:

Ministry of interior

Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment

Never Again Association

Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights

Groups affected/interested Migrants, Ethnic minorities, Religious minorities
Type (R/D) Anti-migrant/xenophobia, Anti-semitism, Afrophobia, Nationalism
Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas Sport, Anti-racism
External Url http://www.msw.gov.pl/portal/pl/2/8818/Nie__dla_rasizmu_w_sporcie.html, http://www.nigdywiecej.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27
Situation(s)
Controversial Slogan During Futball Match
Anti-Semitism at football stadiums
Stop Racism in Sports’ Journalist Competition
Signing of the No – to racism in sports declaration
Anti-racist regulation in Speedway Racing
Let’s Kick Racism out of Stadiums
Racism on football stadiums
Library
31/12/2012 - 01:18
Short Answer

Racist incidents are rare in most sports, except for football. Most of the positive initiatives regarding racism in sport are undertaken by the Never Again Association, which conducts its activities under the slogan Let’s Kick Racism out of Stadiums.

Qualitative Info

Racist incidents are rare in most sports, except for football, where they are much more common. In the case of other sports some single incidents have been observed (speed racing, basketball). Several types of racist incidents recurring at Polish football stadiums may be distinguished. The first one includes acts directed against players of darker skin colour which consist in making hooting sounds to imitate those produced by monkeys whenever they have the ball, throwing bananas at them and calling them names. Also, some several physical attacks on black players have been reported. Second type of incidents directed against all ‘foreign’ players consist in shouting racist slogans, hanging banners with such slogans as well as adding Nazi symbols and stylistics to the club flags and banners. Another type of incidents includes behaviour of anti-Semitic character (shouts, chants, notices).


Most of the positive initiatives regarding racism in sport are undertaken by the Never Again Association, which conducts its activities under the slogan Let’s Kick Racism out of Stadiums. The association’s activities include, among others, printing and distributing, mainly during football matches, leaflets, booklets and posters containing anti-racist slogans, preparing shirts with the campaign’s slogans, as well as persuading players to put them on during the matches, organising the Polish Football Championships of Anti-racist Amateur Teams with the participation minorities and migrants. Never Again also conducts monitoring of racist incidents in football. Some actions against racism in sport have been undertaken by some public bodies.  For example, the annual  ‘Stop Racism in Sport’ journalist competition, was initiated by the Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment. On 16 October 2009, the No – to racism in sports declaration was signed during a conference organized by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, and the Polish Olympic Committee. In addition to the organizers, acclaimed Polish athletes and over 40 sport organizations signed the declaration.

The fears of dangerous acts of racism occurring at the championship in Poland were not confirmed. Indeed, such incidents took place, yet they can be considered single hooligans incidents rather than a mass action against foreign teams. 

 

The biggest sport venue in Poland in 2012 was football world cup – EURO 2012. One of the initiatives aiming at preventing racist or discriminatory practices during matches was the Respect Diversity project. It was implemented by the FARE network, co-ordinated by the Never Again Association. The initiative, launched at the start of the tournament, saw two FARE international observers present at every match, up to 2,500 public areas declared as Inclusive Zones to provide welcoming spaces across Poland and Ukraine, a fan zone in four languages and a tour of Streetkick, a mobile football game with an anti-discrimination message. Besides, over 80,000 police officers and stewards in Poland and Ukraine also received anti-discrimination training to help them identify and prevent discriminatory chants, symbols and behaviour.

 

Sources:

Groups affected/interested Migrants, Ethnic minorities, Religious minorities
Type (R/D) Anti-migrant/xenophobia, Anti-semitism, Afrophobia, Nationalism
Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas Sport, Anti-racism
External Url http://www.msw.gov.pl/portal/pl/2/8818/Nie__dla_rasizmu_w_sporcie.html, http://www.nigdywiecej.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27
Situation(s)
Controversial Slogan During Futball Match
Anti-Semitism at football stadiums
Stop Racism in Sports’ Journalist Competition
Signing of the No – to racism in sports declaration
Anti-racist regulation in Speedway Racing
Let’s Kick Racism out of Stadiums
Racism on football stadiums
Library