Boris Johnson has told England fans not to boo their football team for taking the knee in protest against racial injustice.
After previously failing to criticise fans’s behaviour a Downing Street spokesman said on Friday that the Prime Minister wants the public to “cheer them on, not boo” the England squad.
The clarification came as the Scotland squad faced further pressure from politicians to take the knee at the beginning of their matches.
The SFA announced on Thursday that the players will fight racism “by taking a stand” before matches in the championship.
Asked if Johnson backs players taking the knee, the No 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 getting behind the team to cheer them on, not boo.”
A string of Scottish politicians have called on the Scottish squad to think again before their opening match against the Czech republic on Monday.
Labour MSP Paul Sweeney said “standing is not an act of solidarity in any credible sense” and the SNP’s footballing MP Hannah Bardell wrote: “a disappointing and misguided decision.”
The symbol of anti-racism solidarity gained attention in American football in 2016 as they protested against police brutality and racism in the US.
The act has since spread further and was adopted by football players in the UK partly to demonstrate that racism should not be tolerated in the sport.
But there have been incidents of some sections of the audience booing players as they take the knee before games, including before England’s friendly matches against Austria and Romania last week.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman earlier this week declined to condemn those who booed players, only going so far as urging them to be “respectful” causing former prime minister Gordon Brown to urge Johnson to “come out publicly and support the England football team and what they do”
Despite now taking a firmer stance, Downing Street declined to criticise education minister Gillian Keegan for calling the act “divisive”.
Instead the No 10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister respects the right of all people to peacefully protest and make their feelings known about injustices.”
Fellow Conservative Brendan Clarke-Smith also claimed fans are “sick and tired of being preached and spoken down to” and just want to see a game, “not to be lectured on morality”.
Scotland captain Andy Robertson said it was important for the team and the nation to continue to “tackle the issue of racism and raise awareness of the need to change people’s mindsets”.
In a statement, he said:“Prior to our World Cup qualifiers in March we spoke as a group and felt that taking a stand was the best way for us to show solidarity and also to reinforce the need for meaningful change in society.”
