The booing of the England players by a crowd of Hungarian children makes it clear. Without wishing to sound over the top, I must still say, in this simple gesture is crystallised a battle for the soul of the world: on the one side tolerance, inclusion, compassion and respect; on the other, hatred, fear, ersatz 'division' and the 'othering' of outsiders. In Hungary you see a country where free debate is being systematically closed down and instead a narrative which holds that European society should properly be white, Christian, heterosexual and conservative is being imposed. And of course, like any crusading ideology, the most important place it is imposed is in the minds of little children, the next generation of obedient worker slaves.
Again, that the 'gesture' has power is clear - which is why culture-warriors such as Priti Patel leapt to decry it in the first place - and why the England players' unity is an important, and in many ways remarkable, challenge to the prevailing media discourse which would prefer to tidy up the anti-racist conversation and place it back in its little box, thank you. Whilst Southgate deserves enormous credit for his heartfelt and beautifully judged letter to England fans last year, he shows that he still lacks understanding with regard to the wider context when he claims to be "surprised" by the Hungarian crowd's booing. If he knew what has been going on in Hungary under Orban, he wouldn't be.
I completely understand why Middlesbrough players took the decision they did to abandon the taking of the knee before kick off. In their decision they probably felt a duty to reflect the apparent opinions of many of their supporters, some of whom last summer were undoubtedly among those booing the England team at the Riverside. Nevertheless, with the alarming sight of thousands of Hungarian children effectively declaring themselves 'for' racism, I hope they might reflect again. As role models, and as a happily diverse and inclusive workforce, they can continue to make a humble, but insistent, difference.
Again, that the 'gesture' has power is clear - which is why culture-warriors such as Priti Patel leapt to decry it in the first place - and why the England players' unity is an important, and in many ways remarkable, challenge to the prevailing media discourse which would prefer to tidy up the anti-racist conversation and place it back in its little box, thank you. Whilst Southgate deserves enormous credit for his heartfelt and beautifully judged letter to England fans last year, he shows that he still lacks understanding with regard to the wider context when he claims to be "surprised" by the Hungarian crowd's booing. If he knew what has been going on in Hungary under Orban, he wouldn't be.
I completely understand why Middlesbrough players took the decision they did to abandon the taking of the knee before kick off. In their decision they probably felt a duty to reflect the apparent opinions of many of their supporters, some of whom last summer were undoubtedly among those booing the England team at the Riverside. Nevertheless, with the alarming sight of thousands of Hungarian children effectively declaring themselves 'for' racism, I hope they might reflect again. As role models, and as a happily diverse and inclusive workforce, they can continue to make a humble, but insistent, difference.