Prince William is taking a stand against racism.
In response to a number of online hate comments that were made about U.K. soccer players, the Duke of Cambridge released an extremely rare personal statement to condemn these actions, signing the message with his first initial. The statement reads, "Racist abuse—whether on the pitch, in the stands, or on social media—is despicable and it must stop now."
He continued, "We all have a responsibility to create an environment where such abuse is not tolerated, and those who choose to spread hate and division are held accountable for their actions. That responsibility extends to the platforms where so much of this activity now takes place. I commend all those players, supporters, clubs and organisations who continue to call out and condemn this abuse in the strongest terms. W." *Cue the round of applause.*
Greater Manchester Police, who are currently investigating these incidents, also echoed Prince William's sentiments in their official statement. It reads, "Nobody should be subject to such abuse and it is deeply upsetting not only to those who suffer it, but to all those who come across this awful language too. These hateful words have no place in our society whether online or otherwise."
To offer some background, some of the top U.K. soccer players, including Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe, Anthony Martial, Romaine Sawyers and Reece James, have been victims of online abuse. In response, Rashford tweeted, "Humanity and social media at its worst. Yes I’m a black man and I live every day proud that I am. No one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different. So sorry if you were looking for a strong reaction, you’re just simply not going to get it here."
To these talented athletes, we're behind you 100 percent.
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