Arsenal fans filmed shouting ‘f****** Jews’ before north London derby
Arsenal fans were filmed shouting anti-Semitic abuse on a train, as they traveled to watch the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
Filmed by an unnamed Spurs fan, the clip shows Arsenal supporters hurling the abuse on Saturday before the fixture, including “‘I’ve got a foreskin” and “f****** Jews”, as reported by Daily Mail.
The Spurs fan that shot the racist abuse on the train told the Mail: “‘I got off at Seven Sisters and spoke to the police about it but they didn’t really do anything about it.”
They added, that the fans “were singing about the Holocaust and Auschwitz” too, but -“it doesn’t normally happen with Arsenal [fans].”
The fan who took the clip said there were lots of the commuters on the train, but “no one seemed shock, some people were actually laughing. I was really offended by it.”
A spokesperson for the British Transport Police (BTP) said: “We have been made aware of a video on social media showing anti-semitic behaviour on board a tube train.”
“BTP takes these matters very seriously. The matter is currently being investigating and enquiries are ongoing.”
Former Football Association Director and current Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council Simon Johnson, said: “This disgraceful example of anti-semitic chanting has no place in modern society. As it happened away from the ground, we welcome British Transport Police’s investigation into the allegations and encourage both clubs to continue to provide full cooperation in identifying the perpetrators. There can be no tolerance of those who resort to racist chants in any circumstances”.
Board of Deputies Vice President Marie van der Zyl said: “This kind of appalling abuse has no place in football or society. The offenders should be identified, punished to the full extent of the law and banned for life from football stadiums so that families can enjoy our national game in safety free from the intimidation and provocation of the haters.”
Tottenham fans have previously been subject to anti-Semitic abuse due to the club’s historical links with the east London Jewish community.
An Arsenal spokeswoman said: “We absolutely condemn any form of anti-Semitism at the Club and we will work with the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police to identify any culprits. We work hard as a club to encourage diversity and inclusion through the Arsenal for Everyone programme and will continue to drive forward this campaign to our supporters.”
Roisin Wood, Director of Kick It Out, said: “This type of behaviour is not acceptable. Anti-Semitic abuse is sadly still a problem and football is always a reflection of wider issues in society. Fans’ behaviour has improved considerably but, as this incident shows, further education and awareness is needed.
“We’d like to remind supporters that they can report discrimination confidentially via the Kick It Out reporting app.
“Kick It Out will continue to work with organisations such as the Community Support Trust (CST) and Maccabi GB on how the Jewish community can report antisemitism in football.”
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