Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1262267
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 JUNE 2020 OPINION context for right-wing, nation- alist and populist movements to make inroads into football supporter culture. The Eng- lish Defence League (EDL) and more recently, the Football Lads Alliance (FLA) have been able to draw support from clubs throughout the country, turn- ing out in large numbers for marches and protests ostensi- bly aimed at defending English or British culture from per- ceived threats, often connected to what they see as "liberal" pol- icies on immigration and multi- culturalism. On June 13, protesting fans – along with far-right politi- cal agitators and some military veterans – mobilised in London and other cities with a stat- ed aim of defending historical statues and war memorials fol- lowing the recent toppling by Black Lives Matter protesters of the statue of a 17th-century slave-trader. The FLA, accord- ing to reports, seemed to come off worse in clashes with police, Black Lives Matter protesters and also, it should be noted, other groups of football fans. That the Black Lives Matter protests and counter-demon- strations erupted during the uneven and contested easing of lockdown restrictions pro- vides a compli- cated context. It is widely understood that the c o r o n a v i - rus and its economic im- pacts have and will continue to hit the poorest hardest. The isolation, fear and frustrations of recent months undoubtedly played a key role in fomenting the outpourings of collectively expressed anger and protest, in whatever direction they were aimed. An unmistakable feature of the protests globally was their multiracial character, reveal- ing not just a show of solidari- ty towards the victims of racial injustice, but also class-based solidarity between people of all ethnicities. That combination of race and class, when mixed with national identity, can be beautiful or ugly, often finding expression through cultural forms such as football. Forcing a U-turn The restarting of Premier League football in the UK sits alongside a poorly planned and widely resisted attempt to re- open schools to enable a mass return to work, which has exac- erbated class divisions. Wealth- ier white-collar workers tend to be able to work at home, to flexible hours and avoid the risk of crowded public trans- port. Meanwhile those on the frontline – in NHS, care homes, factories, public transport and other lower-paid jobs facing a greater risk of infection – in- clude a disproportionate num- ber of ethnic minority workers. While recovering from a pre-lockdown back injury, Rashford took careful notice of the problems faced in the community where he grew up. Wythenshawe in south Man- chester was originally built in the 1920s as a rehousing over- spill to cater for the "slum clear- ances" of the city's terraced housing. Once known as the "largest council estate in Eu- rope", it today includes wards that regularly rate among the most deprived in the country. Rashford had already earned praise for his work with home- less people and for learning sign language in preparation for judging a poetry compe- tition for deaf children, even before campaigning to provide affordable food for children in poverty. The footballer joined with the charity FareShare, raising more than £20 million to help provide three million meals for vulnerable people. When the government an- nounced that it would end its scheme to provide children stranded at home during the coronavirus pandemic with vouchers to the value of the free lunches they would otherwise have received at school, Rash- ford wrote an open letter to the government to ask it to recon- sider. Johnson initially rejected Rashford's plea but, following a further appeal by the play- er amid increasing media and intra-party pressure, Johnson eventually announced his poli- cy U-turn. Rashford might bear compari- son with the London-based rap- per Stormzy, as well as fellow footballer Raheem Sterling who has led a powerful anti-racism campaign in support of Black Lives Matter. All three have used their con- siderable talent – football in Rashford and Sterling's case and music in Stormzy's – as both a way out of poverty and a means to raise social issues by exploit- ing their public platforms. In Rashford's case it is notable that his focus appears to stretch be- yond race and towards address- ing more cross-cutting class- based inequalities. When the first matches in English football's return kicked off on June 17, the players – with "Black Lives Matter" writ- ten across their backs – took the knee in symbolic protest of persisting inequalities and structural racism. Rashford's leadership has for many filled a vacuum left by the government's handling of the pandemic and highlighted at best an indifference to issues of race and class. It will also of course make a material differ- ence to people in real need. It was, as football pundits are so fond of saying, a "result". This article is republished from The Conversation Though football in the UK has its sectarian divides and distinct national allegiances, English football culture has traditionally tended to shy away from overtly political affiliations or rhetoric Rashford might bear comparison with the London-based rapper Stormzy (right), as well as fellow footballer Raheem Sterling who has led a powerful anti-racism campaign in support of Black Lives Matter