Are racism and anti-Semitism an integral part of soccer, as recent events in France seem to suggest? What about known examples of England and Holland? Racist slurs there are so common among the fans that the language they use barely registers. For the longest time researchers of sports and violence have been claiming that tolerance of violence connected to sports will ultimately lead to physical violence, assaults and worse.
As reported by the New York Times and many other outlets, this is exactly what happened in France. Extreme right-wing fans of a Paris St. Germain team started violence that led to one of them being shot by a policeman. The fans' reaction, predictably enough, was to blame the policeman. Needless to say, he was protecting another youth from the fans' violence.
Violence is routine in European soccer games and racism and anti-Semitism are an acceptable part of it. Something is now going to have to be done - at least in France.
It is the fans, who are violent - so stop blaming the policeman!
posted by Emilia.kk @ 8:54 AM
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