Uefa is willing to have the European Under-21 Championship final abandoned if there is a repeat of the racist behaviour from Serbian supporters which marred their group match against England.
The referee Damir Skomina has been reminded that he has the power to call an instant halt to tonight's match between Serbia and Holland, while European football's governing body has warned that it will operate a policy of zero tolerance against racist behaviour.
Uefa was forced to make an anti-racism announcement during England's 2-0 win against Serbia last Sunday, when the Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha was subjected to racist chanting and gestures from a section of supporters.
Serbia have now contacted their supporters to warn them of the possible consequences if any of Holland's black players are abused.
"They [Serbia] have gone out of their way to ensure a few idiots don't spoil the final," said Uefa's director of communications, William Gaillard. "Our president has made it clear that zero tolerance applies to the final. There is no problem for the referee to stop the game and there would be sanctions as well. We are prepared to take drastic measures. We hope it won't come to that but we are ready. This is supposed to be a celebration of football and we will not tolerate any racism."
The Dutch are concerned that the tournament could be overshadowed by the issue of racism while their coach, Foppe de Haan, has been quoted as describing Serbians as "a bit racist". The president of the Serbian Football Association, Zvezdan Terzic, has urged Serbian supporters to "control themselves".
Speaking to the Serbian TV station B92, he said: "For all their enthusiasm and patriotism, our fans must understand that outbursts of nationalism and racism will only cause damage to our football and our country's reputation."
Holland's captain, Ron Vlaar, will miss the final after a knee ligament strain and is likely to be replaced by Arnold Kruiswijk. The defender limped off during Wednesday's semi-final against England which ended in a 13-12 penalty shoot-out win.
Guardian
Showing posts with label zero tolerance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zero tolerance. Show all posts
June 23, 2007
March 24, 2007
CRE calls on local groups for 'zero tolerance' in election campaigns
Political parties will be challenged by local groups who use race as a campaign tactic to ignite community tensions and conflicts warned the Commission for Racial Equality today.
The CRE is urging local groups to take a 'zero tolerance' stance against racist activity that seeks to divide local communities in the run up to the election period.
Local partners can play an important part in monitoring organised racist activity, identifying trends, coordinating a local response to increases in racist behaviour, and making sure that victims get the support they need.
Racial hatred is not confined to any single community and where this arises it must be challenged head on. MPs, MSPs, AMs and political leaders will be reminded by the CRE that their campaigns should not use negative stereotyping or misinformation about race to boost votes.
CRE Chair, Kay Hampton said:
The CRE may be the regulators of the Race Relations Act, but our role is not just to wave a big stick. We also expect local authorities to confront the myths, or misinformation others may use and we look to local groups and organisations to act as the 'eyes and ears' within communities.
Together, we must remind political parties of their responsibility to ensure that loose words in the heat of the campaign do not ignite conflicts. We need to nurture an environment in which everyone feels they have a stake in society and we must fight to guarantee that everyone's issues and concerns can be aired in the political arena fairly and accurately.
Promoting good race relations requires leadership and real interaction between and within our communities. It is essential that people are encouraged to support inclusion and reject separatist ideas. This is about changing everyone's attitudes no matter their cultural background or nationality.
Cllr Richard Kemp, vice chair of the Local Government Association, said:
As the only body directly elected by local people to represent them, councils have a duty to ensure that everyone in their locality feels respected and lives with a sense of responsibility and belonging. Local authorities must take the lead in creating safe and cohesive communities where people can thrive, regardless of race, colour or creed.
Councils accept that, particularly at election times, things can be said which people later regret. More worryingly, things can be said which people do not regret and which can undermine community relations and inflame local tensions. At this time councils must be especially vigilant in tackling myths, lies and misdirection wherever they appear.
The CRE has also organised a series of seminars on myth-busting and the law for local authorities and lawyers to help challenge the inaccuracies, racism and misrepresentation that seek to decide to divide our communities.
CRE
The CRE is urging local groups to take a 'zero tolerance' stance against racist activity that seeks to divide local communities in the run up to the election period.
Local partners can play an important part in monitoring organised racist activity, identifying trends, coordinating a local response to increases in racist behaviour, and making sure that victims get the support they need.
Racial hatred is not confined to any single community and where this arises it must be challenged head on. MPs, MSPs, AMs and political leaders will be reminded by the CRE that their campaigns should not use negative stereotyping or misinformation about race to boost votes.
CRE Chair, Kay Hampton said:
The CRE may be the regulators of the Race Relations Act, but our role is not just to wave a big stick. We also expect local authorities to confront the myths, or misinformation others may use and we look to local groups and organisations to act as the 'eyes and ears' within communities.
Together, we must remind political parties of their responsibility to ensure that loose words in the heat of the campaign do not ignite conflicts. We need to nurture an environment in which everyone feels they have a stake in society and we must fight to guarantee that everyone's issues and concerns can be aired in the political arena fairly and accurately.
Promoting good race relations requires leadership and real interaction between and within our communities. It is essential that people are encouraged to support inclusion and reject separatist ideas. This is about changing everyone's attitudes no matter their cultural background or nationality.
Cllr Richard Kemp, vice chair of the Local Government Association, said:
As the only body directly elected by local people to represent them, councils have a duty to ensure that everyone in their locality feels respected and lives with a sense of responsibility and belonging. Local authorities must take the lead in creating safe and cohesive communities where people can thrive, regardless of race, colour or creed.
Councils accept that, particularly at election times, things can be said which people later regret. More worryingly, things can be said which people do not regret and which can undermine community relations and inflame local tensions. At this time councils must be especially vigilant in tackling myths, lies and misdirection wherever they appear.
The CRE has also organised a series of seminars on myth-busting and the law for local authorities and lawyers to help challenge the inaccuracies, racism and misrepresentation that seek to decide to divide our communities.
CRE
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community,
CRE.racial equality,
inclusion,
zero tolerance
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