From BBC News:
Newcastle United fans have been warned not to taunt new Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio with fascist salutes during Sunday’s North East derby match.
The 44-year-old issued a statement shortly after joining Sunderland last month insisting he does not “support the ideology of fascism”.
But the Italian was fined for making right-arm salutes to Lazio fans as a player in 2005.
Northumbria Police said such gestures would not be treated “as a joke”.
Ch Supt Steve Neill said: “Offensive gestures, particularly those with a suggestion of racist connotations, are completely unacceptable.
“We will take positive action against anyone seen acting in an offensive or racist manner.”
CCTV footage from St James’ Park will be analysed after the game and applications made for football banning orders where necessary, Mr Neill said.
But Di Canio is definitely a fascist – he said so himself, and he started his adult life as a member of a Far Right irriducibili movement. Di Canio continued to identify with the neo-Nazi irriducibili as a player.
Newcastle fans aren’t going to make racist gestures to support racism – they are going to protest against a fascist, who is denying who he is a fascist any longer, in order for professional benefit.
How are we supposed to believe that Di Canio has really changed his mind? When Italian Jewish sportsmen complained about Di Canio’s fascist salutes in Italy, he replied:
“If we are in the hands of the Jewish community, it’s the end. If action is taken because one community is up in arms it could be dangerous.”
So the public ought to have the right to publicly call out Di Canio as a fascist.
If any violent flare-ups occur, then arrest the violent people, not the people exposing a racist. But according to Northumbria police, mocking racism is in itself racism.
