Priti Patel accuses footballers of ‘gesture politics’ when taking the knee before games in protest against racial injustice
Priti Patel has said she does not support England's footballers taking the knee in protest against racial injustice, labelling the act "gesture politics".
The Home Secretary did not condemn football fans who had booed players for taking the knee, calling it a "choice for them" after Gareth Southgate's side faced jeers from a minority of fans at their first match of Euro 2020.
It comes after a Number 10 spokesman said the Prime Minister wants the public to "cheer them on, not boo" at the tournament and explicitly supported those who decide to take part in the protest.
However, Ms Patel took a different stance from Boris Johnson, telling GB News: "I just don't support people participating in that type of gesture, gesture politics, to a certain extent, as well."
She claimed the Black Lives Matter protests last summer had a "devastating" impact on policing as she criticised the toppling of the statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol.
"It's all well to support a
cause and make your voices heard," she told broadcaster GB News.
"But actually, quite frankly, and we saw last year in particular with some of the protests that took place, I speak now very much from what I saw in the impact on policing. It was devastating.
"Not only that, I just don't subscribe to this view that we should be rewriting our history, pulling down statues, the famous Colston statue, and what's happened there.
"Toppling statues is not the answer. It's about learning from our past, learning from our history and actually working together to drive the right outcomes."
Asked whether England fans were right to boo the national team, she said: "That's a choice for them, quite frankly."
Pressed on whether she would boo the team for taking the knee, the Home Secretary added: "I've not gone to a football match to even contemplate that."
Last week, when asked if Mr Johnson backs players taking the knee, the Number 10 spokesman said: "Yes. The Prime Minister respects the right of all people to peacefully protest and make their feelings known about injustices.
"The Prime Minister wants to see everybody get behind the teamtocheerthemon,notboo."