Performance Protesting Racism... 'Mujigae Wanjang' Abandoned
The England national football team performed a 'taking a knee' gesture in their first match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Captain Harry Kane (Tottenham) and other players knelt on one knee on the ground before standing up at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, prior to the group stage match against Iran on the 21st.
This performance is a protest against racial discrimination. It originated in 2016 when NFL player Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the US national anthem before games to refuse the pledge of allegiance. After the death of George Floyd, a Black man, due to excessive force by white police officers in the US in May 2020, it widely spread as part of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. In the English Premier League (EPL), players had been performing this gesture before matches since June 2020, but it was reduced this season and is now only done in certain specific matches.
Analysts suggest that England players performing this gesture in their first World Cup match is related to controversies over migrant workers and LGBTQ+ human rights abuses in the host country, Qatar. Qatar has been in conflict with Western countries, including Europe, over human rights issues such as criminalizing homosexuality. England has been one of the most vocal critics.
They did not wear the 'rainbow armband' that was announced along with the 'taking a knee' gesture. Kane had previously stated that he would wear the 'One Love' armband, filled with rainbow colors and marked with the number '1' in a heart, to signify opposition to all forms of discrimination. However, FIFA announced sanctions such as issuing yellow cards if worn during matches, claiming it violated the spirit of sport, leading to the decision not to wear it.
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