The parliament of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro approved a bill that allows the temporary interruption or even the permanent suspension of soccer matches in case of racist acts in the stadiums.
The Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro approved on Tuesday the so-called Vinícius Júnior Regional Policy to Combat Racism in Stadiums and Sports Arenas, as well as the delivery of the Tiradentes medal to the Brazilian player of Real Madrid.
Vinícius Júnior, born in a suburb of the city of Rio de Janeiro, suffered racist acts throughout the last season of the Spanish League, which had as its most mediatic point a match played in Valencia, at the Mestalla stadium, on 21 of May. .
The entry into force of the law now depends on the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, who has 15 days to approve or veto it.
The proposal provides that matches may be interrupted when racist complaints or demonstrations are registered.
“The interruption will last for as long as the event organizer or party delegate considers it necessary and until the openly racist attitudes cease,” the parliament explained in a statement.
In the case of racist attacks or demonstrations promoted by recurring groups or parties, the match may be definitively suspended, “a possibility that will be communicated to the referee by the organization of the event or by the party delegate”.
The measures are part of the so-called Protocol to Fight Racism, which allows any fan to report racist behavior to the authorities present in the stadium and for the complaints to be immediately communicated to the organization of the event and to the referees.
“We are the first legislature in the country to approve a bill to combat racism in stadiums and that makes us proud. We have to put an end to this cancer once and for all,” said congressman Josemar Pinheiro de Carvalho, author of the bill. law. .
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) was the first football federation in the world to establish sanctions, such as the loss of points, for teams that commit acts of racism.
Reports of racism in stadiums in Brazil increased by 40% in 2022, according to data from the Observatory of Racial Discrimination in Brazilian Soccer.
The Spanish Commission against Violence approved this Monday proposing fines of 60,001 euros to the four people identified as responsible for hanging, on January 26, from a bridge a hanged doll with the Vinícius Júnior shirt.
The commission also proposed fines of 5,000 euros and a one-year ban on access to sports venues for those who made racist gestures also directed at Vinícius in the match with Valencia, played on May 21.
That same day, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced that Spain and Brazil will play a private football match against racism in March 2024, under the motto ‘A single skin’.
Source: TSF
