Post date: Jun 05, 2012 9:50:12 PM
WARSAW, POLAND (RECENT, 2012) (REUTERS) - Poland and Ukraine, hosts of Euro 2012 moved last week to play down a BBC Panorama investigative programme on soccer violence filmed in their countries.
Ahead of Euro 2012 both host countries are defending themselves against allegations of racism. Poland has assured fans that they will be safe in their country during the championships, but activist says there is an existing problem.
Poland denounced British media allegations of racism and mob violence at soccer stadiums and assured foreign footballers and fans that they would be safe during the Euro 2012 tournament they will host with Ukraine next month.
Rafal Pankowski who runs a racism monitoring site "Never Again", said the problem was widespread throughout Europe - including Poland and Ukraine.
"Of course the phenomenon of racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, exists on stadiums, exists in different European countries, it also exists on Polish and Ukrainian stadiums and also in the region. It sometimes takes up a drastic form and it is undoubtedly a very disturbing, negative phenomenon," he added.
But Pankowski said the Euro will attract a different type of crowd.
"There is no argument about this, this phenomenon is well documented also in our monitoring we document it for years. But for the Euro we definitely can count on the fact that the audience will be different, the atmosphere will be different than on a regular league game, a club game in Poland or the Ukraine. So I think the atmosphere for the Euro should be friendly, positive and multi-cultural," Pankowski said.
When Nigerian-born John Godson arrived in Poland 20 years ago, he was spat on in the street and, like many Africans at the time, beaten up simply for being black.
Now the first person of colour to be a member of parliament in the predominantly white country, Godson says things have changed for the better.
"In my opinion I do not think that we have.. that it's that bad. Of course what I think we have in Poland is what I call low intercultural competence, which is as a result of the fact, you know the Polish country or nation is a homogeneous nation, and the post-war Poland is homogenous, they're not used to foreigners and so on. But we see that changing," Godson said in an interview with Reuters.
He says he experienced racism first hand in Poland but a transition from communism in 1990 has made it one of Europe's most robust and fast-growing economies and a more open society.
"Yes, I have experienced… that was in 1993, when I was beaten twice on the street. But I would say that, you know as time goes by we see a lot of changes happening which I would say is because of the accession of Poland into the European Union in 2004 and the fact that a lot of Polish people now get to travel abroad," Godson added.
Godson, an MP for the ruling Civic Platform party, agrees with many social commentators who say it is high time issues of race and anti-Semitism were discussed more publicly in the European Union member.
A year ago, pitched battles between fans, players, journalists and police marred the Polish cup final and prompted Prime Minister Donald Tusk to promise a clampdown as part of his successful election campaign.
In a recent wave of arrests Police have rounded up ringleaders of soccer hooligan groups on drug trafficking and organized crime charges. The police have also invested in an already heavily-armed riot squad, while the high prices of tickets are likely to keep many ordinary fans away from the stadiums themselves.