Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP 22:50 p.m., November 02, 2023
"A flood of hateful and racist comments" published online on X (formerly Twitter) in response to the official photo of the FC Metz team prompted SOS Racisme to file a complaint on Thursday. In a statement, the association cites, for example, references to "an 'African team' that would come from 'Lampedusa'".SOS Racisme announced on Thursday that it had filed a complaint following "hateful and racist" comments published online on X (ex-Twitter) in response to the official photo of the FC Metz team, published in September. "A flood of hateful and racist comments has been observed due to the skin colour of some of the players," SOS Racism said in a statement, citing references to "an 'African team' from 'Lampedusa'".
'Unacceptable' and 'far from isolated' acts
When contacted, the Moselle club did not wish to comment. "We have been in contact with the associations that fight against racism since that famous tweet" and "were aware of their approach", it was simply indicated. The association denounced "unacceptable" and "far from being isolated" acts, and filed a complaint with the public prosecutor of Metz. The local association SOS Racisme Moselle did the same.
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"These comments echo the racist remarks and acts that have multiplied in football stadiums in recent years," said SOS Racisme, which noted that these acts "are repeated beyond sports venues dedicated to football". "These incriminated remarks show the inability of too many people to see people beyond their skin color," said Dominique Sopo, president of SOS Racisme, quoted in the statement.