Racist Chants and Blackened Faces In Spain… Why Am I Not Surprised?
Tuesday, February 5, 2008Posted in: Uncategorized
When I saw footage of Spanish Formula One fans with their faces blackened, on the T.V yesterday, in protest against Lewis Hamilton, I was shocked to my core. I just didn’t think shit like this happened anymore.
I get that the protesters were supporting Fernando Alonso, and felt that Lewis Hamilton was to blame for him not winning the F1 Championship last year, but come on, what kind of racist ignorant morons are these people?
According to Marco Canseco, a reporter for the sports paper Marca, fans of Spanish driver Fernando Alonso booed his archrival (and former McLaren teammate) “fanatically” every time he moved between his mobile home and the pit at the Circuit de Catalunya testing session.
Those seated over the British driver’s quarters, included some men wearing painted faces, Afro wigs, and t-shirts bearing the word’s “Hamilton’s Family,” went even further, loudly calling Hamilton a “negro de mierda” (or “black shit”) and other offensive names.
Sometimes I forget how progressive we are in this country with regards to the race issue, at least until we visit the rest of Europe.
Unfortunately for Spain, this isn’t a first for them:
Although Saturday’s insults were a new phenomenon for Formula One racing, Spanish soccer has an unfortunate recent history of spectator racism. In 2004, Spanish national team coach Luis Aragonés publicly applied the same “negro de mierda” epithet to Arsenal striker Thierry Henry and Spanish fans bellowed monkey chants at black players in a “friendly” match between Spain and England later that year.
FIFA fined the Spanish Football Federation $77,000 on that occasion. In 2006, FC Barcelona’s Cameroon-born striker Samuel Eto’o walked off the field in protest after Zaragoza fans repeated the noises whenever he took to the pitch.
Some people may argue that it’s just a small section of people in the country, but I disagree, I think Spain is inherently racist. When TTG and I visited Barcelona a couple of years ago, we experienced it then. It was a lot more subtle, but it was definitely there. And this was in a major cosmopolitan city too.
As I was listening to the radio this morning, some stupid idiot woman (she was Spanish) came on and tried to excuse the protestors by saying it was because they were angry at Hamilton, and were just trying to upset him because of the stuff that went on last year with Alonso. Ya think? What annoyed me was that she didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with their reaction. She’s not alone in her thinking, unfortunately. Many Spaniards don’t seem to understand what the fuss is about.
I’m hoping the FIA punish them harshly, because quite honestly, it’s time the country got their house in order.
Yet another country where I wont be travelling to anytime soon.
Nathalie
February 5
10:10 pm
Yeah, continental Europe is sometimes, erm, *different*.
I see things over here that I know for a fact wouldn’t go down well at home (I’m a French Canadian temporarily living in Germany, near the Dutch border).
For example, we’re right in the middle of their carnival week here, and they have floats parading through villages, etc. Each float has a different theme. One of them was made to resemble jungle village, I guess, with folks dressed in “cannibals” with their faces painted black, afro wigs with the bone stuck through. And of course, there are the monkey noises and tribal music going on. I was so shocked, actually, that when the float went by, I turned to my husband and said “Did I just see that?” He shook his head in disgust and went back inside to finish his book.
My little guy asked us what the “people with the giant cauldron” were supposed to be. I didn’t know what to tell him.
VT
February 5
10:53 pm
Barcelona is the capital of Catalunya (one of the eleven Autonomous Communities in the Kingdom of Spain). Catalanes are pretty much racist against anyone that isn’t a Catalan; any nationality, color, race, etc… Obviously not all, it would be very close-minded to generalize that way, but a considerable portion of them. Don’t take it personally; they hate all and sundry including – and specially – the rest of Spain.
Now, this: “Some people may argue that it’s just a small section of people in the country, but I disagree, I think Spain is inherently racist.” you might want to consider reevaluating. I can’t say I’m particularly fond of you – though I enjoy your posts from time to time – but I do consider you smarter than that.
The protesters in the video are ignorant fools but its rash to say, or imply, that they embody the thoughts and actions of a whole nation.
Cheers
azteclady
February 5
11:22 pm
“Not all of them but a considerable portion of them”? I think that’s as much a generalization about Cataluña as any Karen made about Spain as a whole. A rose is a rose is a rose *shrug*
It sickens me that these things continue to happen, and that so many people find any difference a good enough excuse to actually *hate* other people about whom they know next to nothing–let alone actually *knowing* any of “them” (those belonging to the group being hated).
Karen Scott
February 5
11:35 pm
I’m not sure what not being fond of me has to do with anything, especially this issue?
As for re-evaluating? Nope, and being smart has nothing to do with it. Now I’m not saying that every Spaniard is racist and ignorant, but I believe that racism is definitely inherent in the Spanish belief system. That’s my opinion, and unfortunately I’ve seen more evidence supporting my theory, than otherwise.
Just because people who are racist fail to realise that that’s exactly what they are, doesn’t make it any less true.
There are places in this world I wont go as a black person, all I’ve done is just added Spain to the list.
I’m not somebody who sees racism everywhere, but I know when it’s there, and in both Madrid and Barcelona, it was definitely there.
That argument reads just like this one does:
Source: NY Times Blog
When you walk for a day in the shoes of a black person, on Las Ramblas, then you can tell me to ‘re-evaluate’.
Shiloh Walker
February 6
1:57 am
Oh, now that is just pathetic.
Shannon Stacey
February 6
3:19 am
So how would the FIA punish them? I think it’s an interesting case of how responsible for its patrons a business is. (Although there were freakin’ banners up) Yanking them off the schedule would certainly give them incentive to monitor the seats a little closer.
From a news clip:
An FIA spokesman said: “We are surprised and disappointed at the abuse.
“This is a clear breach of FIA principles and any repetition will result in serious sanctions.”
Barcelona circuit director Ramon Pradera acted to prevent any repeat, and was quoted in La Vanguardia newspaper as saying: “We would like to make a plea to the fans to behave correctly, no type of offensive behaviour can be tolerated.”
Pradera ordered barriers to be erected around the McLaren end of the paddock for Hamilton’s safety and cleared the area above the garage to protect the car from debris that might be thrown.
Dawn
February 6
11:34 am
I heard this on the news yesterday, and I was shocked. As Karen says, since the UK is quite progressive where race is concerned, when it happens anywhere (here included), it jolts me.
The FIA should punish Spain by pulling both the Barcelona Grand Prix and also the European Grand Prix which is usually held in Valencia in August. If they don’t do anything about it, they’ll be condoning the action.
Scott
February 6
12:14 pm
I am shocked to see this. Just shocked. It is even low of them to say that Hamilton was given better treatment at McLaren because he was English. What a freakin’ joke! Hamilton was proving that he was a damn good driver and Alonso just couldn’t handle the competition.
Sometimes I really think there is hope for the world, then someone pulls this kind of bullshit.
Jennifer McKenzie
February 6
2:12 pm
*shakes head*
giselle
February 6
4:08 pm
Not that long ago there was a video of a Salvadorian immigrant girl being beaten senseless in a Spanish train. The guy comes out of nowhere and starts punching her in the face. You see no one come to her rescue. I used to dream about visiting Spain but not anymore.
Meriam
February 6
6:02 pm
Hi Karen. It’s horrible – I remember the Thiery Henry incident (can’t believe Aragonés is still coaching the national team). I think Spain does have a problem – not least because they are so defensive about it. Obviously not fair to cast aspersions on every single person in Spain, but very generally – yes. It was only after Britain faced the very real issue of institutional racism within its society that we started making real progress in tackling racism. In sports, I think we’ve been particularly good.
However, no one should be complacent. After all, isn’t there a place in Cornwall (or Devon?) that celebrates some arcane festival… darkie day, or something equally disgusting, where they blacken their faces and whatnot? I remember being utterly shocked about that.
By the way, are you watching the match tonight? Any thoughts on Stevie G as the captain? What about Fabio??
Anne
February 6
6:13 pm
Oh for fuck’s sake. People take their sports way too seriously. Honestly. I am a NASCAR fan much like they are of F1, and the worst thing I’ve ever seen happen is the fans throwing beer cans and soda cans at Jeff Gordon (my love) when he won at a track where he was disliked immensely. Flipping racist arseholes.
Meriam
February 6
6:14 pm
Oooh, I found a link: Darkie Day
I love this comment:
Gah! Cornwall is the back of the beyond, but that’s no excuse. Why hasn’t this been banned?
Karen Scott
February 6
7:12 pm
Yep, I’m watching the match tonight. Gerrard as Captain, I prefer him over JT. I thought he should have got it in the first place. Fabio…hmmm, jury’s still out. He’s done his grandstanding, now let’s see if he can build a team that can win things.
Meriam, I’m not surprised about the Cornish Darkie Day. If such a thing was going to happen in England, I think Cornwell’s as likely a place as any.