Premier League says support for Black Lives Matter not political

LONDON

The Premier League reaffirmed its commitment to its anti-racism campaign on Tuesday, which it said was not political, although it was "aware of the risk posed by groups that seek to hijack popular causes and campaigns".

The league issued a statement after its chief executive Richard Masters was grilled by British lawmakers at a hearing on Tuesday about its support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

At the hearing of the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) Committee, Masters defended players' and clubs' collective decision to wear 'Black Lives Matter' on their shirts, describing the cause as a moral one.

When the league restarted this month after a three-month stoppage due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all players had "Black Lives Matter" on their shirts instead of their names in the opening round of games. They have continued to take a knee before kickoff in support of BLM.

"The Premier League offered this backing as we wholly agree with the players' single objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists," the league said in a statement.

Players will continue to wear Black Lives Matter logos on their shirt sleeves until the end of the season but the league said this support had no connection with political groups connected to the movement.

One group, 'UKBLM', which has raised more than 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) through a gofundme appeal, calls for the dismantling of capitalism, has tweeted about defunding the police and made a series of social media posts about issues concerning Israel/Palestine.

"We are aware of the risk posed by groups that seek to hijack popular causes and campaigns to promote their own political views," the league said.

"These actions are entirely unwelcome and are rejected by the Premier League and all other professional football bodies, and they underline the importance of our sport coming together to declare a very clear position against prejudice. We want our message to be a positive one that recognises football has the power to bring people together."

At the DCMS hearing, Conservative MP Steve Brine said the league's support for the BLM movement appeared to mark a shift from its previous opposition to political messages in the sport.