Danny Rose Says he been Racially Targeted by Policemen
England and Tottenham defender Danny Rose said he has been racially targeted by police who stopped his car when driving and asked some very annoying questions. The 30-year-old said that he is always pulled over and questioned by policemen and he feels that he is been racially targetted by the policemen.
Danny Rose said: “Each time it’s, ‘Is this car stolen? Where did you get this car from? What are you doing here? Can you prove that you bought this car?’,” “This has been happening since I was 18.” Rose also said he has been treated differently on public transport with train staff asking to see his ticket for a first-class carriage, while white passengers are left unchallenged.
The English left-back also said: “These are the things I have to put up with, being stopped all the time and being asked if I know this is first class and to show my ticket.” “Whenever I do say things or complain, you do hear people say, ‘Well you’re on this money so just get on with it’. I just give up with hoping that things will change because that’s some people’s mentality towards racism.”
Danny Rose, who was racially abused by Montenegro supporters during England’s Euro 2020 qualifier in March 2019 and he was also subjected to similar abuse in 2012 when he was playing for the Under 21 in Serbia. He said that English football’s anti-racism work has been too little and infrequent in the past.
There has been a greater focus on the issue across sport since the death of George Floyd in police custody in May in Minneapolis sparked worldwide protests. Danny Rose said: “Before the incident with George Floyd in America, one day in a year we wear ‘Kick It Out’ racism t-shirts.” “Doing that one day a year is not really going to get the message home. It is just a crying shame that a man had to lose his life in the way he did for this movement has to happen.
“I hope this is something that now will catch everybody’s eyes, ears and their mind.” Police in England and Wales have the right to attempt to stop and question any individual, but nobody should be subjected to be stopped and answer questions which are not in place. If there is no reason to suspect someone, a failure to stop and answer questions cannot be used as the basis to search or arrest them.