Marcus Rashford has called on social media companies to tackle online abuse, saying it ‘should be easy to stop’. The United star and his team mates Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial are some of the high profile footballers to have recently suffered racist abuse. The 23-year-old Wythenshawe born striker says anyone responsible should have their social media accounts ‘deleted straight away’.
Marcus Rashford said “Online abuse should be easy to stop. You just deactivate the accounts. It’s very easy to make four or five accounts but if you’ve got to block them out you block them out. I feel that’s on the actual social media companies themselves – Instagram, Twitter. If they see anyone that’s being racially abused or abused in any way their accounts should be deleted straight away. That’s one way of getting rid of most of it, if not all of it.”
Tuanzebe, who grew up in Rochdale, received racist abuse after United’s 3-3 draw against Everton.
Marcus Rashford said: “I spoke to Axel when it happened to him. Axel is a tough lad and it’s not nice to hear those things. But he’s bounced back, he always turns up to training happy and smiling and works hard, and that’s what we’re here to do. I know it sounds bad to say, but from our perspective we see if it’s not us that gets the abuse it could be somebody else from another team, or somebody else from another country. Wherever you are in the world you can be targeted by this kind of abuse. The way that you deal with it, and the way that you move on. That’s where you have to show strength and that you’re mentally capable to deal with such things, even though you shouldn’t have to because it shouldn’t be happening.”
Rashford has used his social media accounts to support his work campaigning for vulnerable people. He posted details of organisations offering free meals for needy families, in his campaign which forced the Government into a U-turn on free school meals.
Marcus Rashford said “I feel it (social media) doesn’t affect me as much other people. I’m not active on social media, I only go on it on occasions to spread messages, congratulate somebody or post messages about the team. Throughout my every day life I’m not on it. It doesn’t have as much an effect on me as it does other people, but it should be a place where people should be happy and just enjoy it. It wasn’t here 10-15 years ago and we’re privileged to have it, to connect with people all over the world with different cultures and religions. To see people use it in a negative way is stupid. Hopefully they can sort out that issue and it can be a place of good and happiness.”
