Arnaut Danjuma says he will continue to take a knee and revealed his anger at those who call the gesture a waste of time: “It really p***** me off when people say that.”
Since Project Restart last summer, players, officials and staff at Premier League and EFL games have been taking a knee before kick-off to show support for the global anti-racism movement.
Asked about how he felt when people called taking a knee a waste of time, Netherlands international Danjuma, 24, told Sky Sports News: “To be honest with you, I don’t think I can say it on camera.
“It really p***** me off when people say that. It really frustrates me when people say that. I definitely feel it’s not a waste of time, and anyone who says it needs to look in the mirror.
“It is a very important subject to speak about, and reach out to others about. Anyone who says that should educate themselves more as well.
“So it’s important to keep taking a knee, it still has an impact and it’s important to remind others.”
Danjuma, when asked if he felt fans who booed taking a knee lacked education over racism and social injustice, added: “Yes, 100 per cent. I think schools should educate the youth better about racism.
“I think fans who boo, they are not educated about it. They need to look into the history, what actually happened, and find out how we got to where we are today.
“People must educate themselves and speak about it. It’s a very uncomfortable conversation to have for a lot of people, the more we speak about it the better it becomes. We must make sure history does not repeat itself.”
Danjuma has registered eight goals and two assists in 23 Championship games for Bournemouth so far this season, as the south coast club look to make an immediate return to the Premier League.
The Cherries released a statement last month explaining why, as a club, they felt the taking a knee gesture has “run its course” in the fight against racism and discrimination in football.
4:07
After comments by Wilfried Zaha over taking a knee, Darren Lewis feels the meaning behind the gesture needs properly exploring
Some black footballers have even spoken against taking a knee, including Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha and Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
Daily Mirror‘s Darren Lewis previously explained why he felt Zaha’s and Toney’s comments had been misunderstood as online abuse, discrimination and racism continue to surge – particularly on social media platforms – with many footballers targeted.
“It was a very sensible and healthy discussion,” Danjuma said of Bournemouth’s decision to stop taking a knee before games. “Steve Cook was in charge [of the meeting], as captain of the team.
“He said that anyone who wants to continue taking a knee can do that. I let them know I would be taking a knee if no one was against it. Everyone was very open-minded.
“No one has tried to stop me expressing my feelings, and we are all on very good terms.”
Against Online Hate
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This is the message from Sky Sports presenters and reporters, who have united in supporting a new campaign aimed at raising awareness of online hate and abuse on social media
At Sky Sports, everybody is welcome – and that’s a message we are proud to share.
Inclusion is integral to Sky, and few activities bring people together like sport. Whether participating, watching the action live, or talking about the big event, we all deserve to get satisfaction, joy and entertainment out of the sports we love.
At Sky Sports we are committed to covering all aspects of sport.
We are committed to doing more to tackle racism, highlight racial injustice and support communities impacted by racism.
7:07
In an interview with Sky Sports News, Facebook Content Policy Manager Fadzai Madzingira, who works across Instagram and Facebook, discusses what steps social media companies can take alongside the government to tackle online hate
We are committed to capturing the excitement and passion of all sports. We will shine a light on the issues affecting under-represented groups in sport and be a force for good to help sports grow at all levels.
Sky is also committed to diversity in sport, both as an employer, broadcaster and publisher. As we say, everybody is welcome.
The social media companies are best placed to deal with harmful content on their platforms, and we would like them to do more. As a publisher on social media platforms it is difficult for us to monitor and manage every comment that is posted and take action against every abusive or hateful comment.
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Kick It Out’s chief executive Tony Burnett says social media users being forced to declare personal information could deter potential abusers
But, we will use the power of our reach and our voice – and the voices of our people – to highlight the scale of online hate and the damage that it can inflict upon our people, the guests on our broadcasts and our customers.
We are committed to inspiring change. We will try to remove all hateful and abusive comments from our posts on our own and on social media channels.
We are committed to try to make Sky Sports’ website and our channels on social media platforms a place for comment and debate that is free of abuse, hate and profanity.
Kick It Out reporting racism
Online Reporting Form | Kick It Out
Kick It Out is football’s equality and inclusion organisation – working throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices, and campaign for positive change.
Kick It Out’s new chief executive Tony Burnett recently sat down with Sky Sports to discuss the ongoing fight against online hate in football.
