KICKED INTO TOUCH
Jamie Redknapp and Patrice Evra ditch Black Lives Matter badges on Sky Sports after movement’s controversial statements
JAMIE Redknapp and Patrice Evra ditched the Black Lives Matter badges on Sky Sports last night after the movement's controversial statements criticising Israel.
The pair, along with host Kelly Cates and commentator Gary Neville, were not wearing the badges during the coverage of Brighton vs Manchester United.
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Evra reportedly led the move to drop the badges with Redknapp and Cates following suit.
Since the Premier League returned after lockdown on June 17, players have knelt before kickoff and had 'Black Lives Matter' patches on their sleeves.
It now appears the badges have been dropped by Sky Sports pundits after a series of tweets by the UK branch of Black Lives Matter - which criticised Israel and called on the government to "defund the police".
A spokesperson for Sky Sports told The Sun Online: "Sky’s support is for the moral cause and campaign, that black lives matter, rather than for any political organisation.
"Our presenters and analysts on-screen are free to make their own choice as to whether they wear supportive badges or not."
Matt Le Tissier, meanwhile, will keep wearing a Black Lives Matter badge on TV after criticising the movement's "far-left" calls to defund the police.
He had questioned if he should sport the item as he doesn't support the group's anti-capitalist views, but decided to keep the pin on to fight racism.
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The 51-year-old pundit told the MailOnline: "I just don't agree with some of the points of that movement - specifically the defunding of the police and the anti capitalist points are things I do not agree with.
"They are the two main points for me. I am quite happy for them to have their point of view, but that is mine and that is where I sit.
"I think a lot of people in the country would agree with me.
"I will still wear the badge because I do of course believe black lives matter. It's a simple thing.
"I agree with the cause but there are parts of the organisation that I just cannot support."
The Premier League now appear to have distanced themselves from the movement.
Yesterday it said it recognised "the importance of the message that black lives matter" but said it "does not endorse any political organisation or movement, nor support any group that calls for violence or condones illegal activity".
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PREMIER LEAGUE STATEMENT
The Premier League stands alongside players, clubs, The FA, EFL, PFA, LMA, PGMOL and all those who have come together in recent weeks to reject racism and to show support for the message that black lives matter. These three words have become an expression of unity for people from all communities who believe it is unacceptable to treat black people differently to anyone else.
In an unprecedented move, Premier League players from all 20 clubs united in solidarity with this message and the Premier League supported their request to replace their names on the back of playing shirts with ‘Black Lives Matter’.
The Premier League offered this backing as we wholly agree with the players’ single objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists. And we are unequivocal in the belief that there is no room for racism in our competition, football as a whole, or the wider community. Together, all professional football bodies and the players and managers recognise the importance of the message that black lives matter. However, we do not endorse any political organisation or movement, nor support any group that calls for violence or condones illegal activity.
We are aware of the risk posed by groups that seek to hijack popular causes and campaigns to promote their own political views. These actions are entirely unwelcome and are rejected by the Premier League and all other professional football bodies, and they underline the importance of our sport coming together to declare a very clear position against prejudice. We want our message to be a positive one that recognises football has the power to bring people together.
As the players have made clear, we will all continue to work to promote equality of opportunity - regardless of colour or creed - and celebrate the advantages of diversity wherever we can.
The Premier League believes there is no room for racism or any form of discrimination, anywhere #NoRoomforRacism.
It is now being discussed by several players, with a group of captains considering whether to make a public statement, .
On Sunday, Black Lives Matter UK wrote a series of Tweets over Israel's proposed annexation of the West Bank and claimed "mainstream British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism".
The next day Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called it a "shame" that the movement was getting "tangled up with these organisational issues" and said calls to defund the police were "nonsense".
Black Lives Matter UK hit back by tweeting that "as a public prosecutor, Sir Keir Starmer was a cop in an expensive suit".
Black Lives Matter’s adoption of the slogan “defund the police” in particular has caused controversy over the aim to "dismantle capitalism".
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WHAT IS BLACK LIVES MATTER?
The civil rights group came about in response to extreme police brutality which culminated in the shooting dead of three African-American men in 2013.
The movement was founded by three community organisers and civil rights activists - Alica Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi.
The three women had first met through an organisation which trains community organisers.
It began with a simple hashtag - #BlackLivesMatter - before people began taking to the streets to protest against inequality and violence.
Organisers say the movement's mission is to "eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities".
Black Lives Matter regularly campaigns against institutional racism and violence towards black people.
One of BLM’s biggest demands is that police forces are disbanded and their funds redirected into youth and mental health services.
A Gofundme page run by the group, which has so far raised more than £1million, says some of the money will be spent on “strategies for the abolition of police".
BLM has been criticised for appearing to allow Socialist Workers Party linked members to "hijack" the movement with aims other than racial equality.
But while both groups have been vocal about sharing the desire to dismantle capitalism, BLM recently released a statement distancing itself from the SWP.
Since the Premier League started up again, all 20 clubs agreed to wear Black Lives Matter patches and guests appearing on Sky have worn badges.
Player and officials have also taken a knee before matches - a gesture started by NFL player Colin Kaepernick when he knelt during the US national anthem to protest police brutality and racism in 2016.
It has been used more recently by Black Lives Matter protesters since the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota in May.
Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes as he pleaded with the officer "I can't breathe".
'SPREADING HATE'
This week BLM was accused of "spreading hate" after pledging support for Palestine amid Israel's plans to annex the West Bank.
The UK arm of the movement put out a series of messages on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on its Twitter account.
But Jewish groups and human rights campaigners said the anti-racism group's tweets were "failings".
BLM's comments come as Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, plans to annex Jewish settlements within Palestinian occupied West Bank - forbidden in international law.
The BLM UK account wrote: "As Israel moves forward with the annexation of the West Bank, and mainstream British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism, and Israel's settler colonial pursuits, we loudly and clearly stand beside our Palestinian comrades. FREE PALESTINE."
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That incident sparked outrage and global protests, most of which were peaceful.
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One of BLM’s biggest demands is that police forces are disbanded and their funds redirected into youth and mental health services.
A Gofundme page run by the group, which has so far raised more than £1million, says some of the money will be spent on “strategies for the abolition of police".
Sky Sports pundit Matt Le Tissier to ‘review’ wearing Black Lives Matter badge on TV
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