EPL Clubs Urged to Actively Respond on Social Media and 'Boycott' Until the 3rd
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim On-yu] Manchester United, a professional football club in England, has identified and banned fans who left racist comments targeting Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) after a match.
On the 30th, Manchester United announced, "On April 11 (local time), six individuals who violated club regulations by posting abusive comments towards Tottenham's Son Heung-min on social media after the match were banned from attending games."
According to the club, among the six banned individuals, three are Manchester United season ticket holders, two are official members, and one is on the season ticket waiting list.
Son Heung-min's experience of racial discrimination occurred after the 31st round match of the 2020-2021 English Premier League (EPL) between Manchester United and Tottenham.
During the match, Son Heung-min was fouled while contesting the ball with Scott McTominay, which led to the cancellation of a Manchester United goal. However, claims arose that Son exaggerated the fall after being hit in the face, making him a target of malicious comments.
Angry Manchester United fans left racist remarks on Son Heung-min's Instagram posts, such as "Stop diving and go eat cats, bats, or dogs," and "Rice-eating cheater."
Following this, both clubs responded, and football-related organizations in the UK staged collective actions protesting the ongoing discriminatory acts against players and members online.
More than ten organizations, including the EPL, the Football Association (FA), the English Football League (EFL), and the Women's Super League (WSL), urged social media companies to take stronger action and began a collective social media boycott starting on the 30th.
These organizations declared a suspension of social media activities until 11:59 PM on the 3rd.
In a Twitter statement, the EPL emphasized, "Discriminatory behavior online must stop. Social media platforms need to do more to prevent it."
Tottenham also joined the boycott, sharing protest messages including comments from acting manager Ryan Mason, who said, "Social media platforms must implement measures to hold people accountable."
Players such as Harry Kane and Gareth Bale also participated by posting messages condemning discriminatory acts on their personal accounts.
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