Reported proposals to segregate black and white fans to combat racism in Kiev are "entirely wrong", according to FARE.
A reported plan to segregate black and white fans in
Kiev to combat racism is "entirely wrong", Football
Against Racism in Europe (FARE) has said.
Dynamo Kiev were charged by UEFA over alleged racist disturbances from a section of supporters during the Champions League draw with Chelsea earlier this month.
The director of the Olympic Stadium, Volodimir Spilchenko,
is reported to have suggested that the idea of segregating black and
white supporters could help to curb the risk of further such incidents,
and is quoted as saying: "We are trying, maybe, to make a separate
sector [for black fans] in order to avoid racism."
FARE,
who referred footage of the crowd trouble in the match to UEFA, has now
voiced significant concern that Spilchenko's alleged comments could be
seen as making victims of racist abuse appear to be responsible for it.
In a statement to Omnisport, executive director Piara Powar said: "We deplore all acts of exclusion inside football stadiums and outside.
"This
is a publicly owned stadium and therefore the responsibilities of those
managing the stadium are clear. So it seems to us that to propose a
solution that involves ethnic minorities being asked to sit in a
different sector of the stadium to be entirely wrong.
"The
solution is to enforce the law and rules and regulations of the
stadium, and ensure that those involved in acts of discrimination are
brought to justice, not to treat the victims of the attack as somehow
responsible for it."
Founded in 1999, FARE has
received public backing from UEFA, FIFA and the European Commission in
the past for its efforts to combat discrimination in European football.
UEFA's disciplinary body is expected to make a decision on its investigation into the Kiev incident on Tuesday.
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