Twitter Removes Over 1K Abusive Messages Toward English Soccer Stars After Euro Cup Loss

Twitter said it removed over 1,000 abusive tweets directed at three Black players on England's team who missed penalty kicks in the shootout against Italy on Sunday in the European Championship final.

Twitter called the behavior "abhorrent racial abuse", and said it has no place on the social media platform. In addition to the over 1,000 tweets removed, Twitter said it also permanently suspended accounts for violating the Twitter rules.

"We will continue to take action," Twitter said, "when we identify any tweets or accounts that violate our policies."

Twitter was joined in the fight to remove the comments from social media. Instagram's parent company Facebook said it tries to remove harmful content as quickly as possible.

"We quickly removed comments and accounts directing abuse at England's footballers last night and we'll continue to take action against those that break our rules," Facebook said in a statement.

For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.

British police opened investigations Monday into the racist abuse of the three Black players.

The Metropolitan Police condemned the "unacceptable" abuse of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, and said they will be investigating the "offensive and racist" social media posts published soon after Italy won Sunday's shootout 3-2 after the match ended 1-1.

The English Football Association said it was "appalled" by the "disgusting behavior," adding that social media companies should take action to make their platforms free from this "abhorrent" abuse.

"We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible," the FA said. "We will continue to do everything we can to stamp discrimination out of the game, but we implore government to act quickly and bring in the appropriate legislation so this abuse has real life consequences."

All three players targeted are part of a young England squad that has been widely praised for its diversity and social conscience. Rashford, for one, has been at the forefront of a campaign against child poverty, which convinced the British government to restore free lunches for thousands of poor children amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A mural of Rashford on the wall of a cafe in south Manchester was also defaced in the wake of Sunday's match. Greater Manchester Police said they were investigating the "racially aggravated damage," which occured at 2:50 a.m.

"This is disgraceful behaviour and will absolutely not be tolerated," Manchester police chief superintendent Paul Savill said.

Although British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves," he has faced criticism for emboldening those booing the England team for taking a knee before their matches to protest against racial injustice.

Last month, Johnson's spokesman said the prime minister is "more focused on action rather than gestures." That comment led to widespread criticism that Johnson was effectively encouraging those booing to carry on. Three days later, his spokesman changed tack, saying the prime minister "respects the right of all people to peacefully protest and make their feelings known about injustices" and that he wanted to cheer the team on and "not boo."

England coach Gareth Southgate described the abuse directed at the players as "unforgivable."

"We have been a beacon of light in bringing people together, in people being able to relate to the national team, and the national team stands for everybody and so that togetherness has to continue," Southgate said Monday.

Gary Neville, a former Manchester United player and now a TV commentator, said he wasn't surprised that the three players who missed their penalties were targeted for racist abuse and called out Johnson.

"The prime minister said it was OK for the population of this country to boo those players who are trying to promote equality and defend against racism," he said on Sky News. "It starts at the very top and so for me I wasn't surprised in the slightest that I woke up this morning to those headlines."

Home Secretary Priti Patel also condemned the abuse but has also faced criticism for encouraging those booing the players by describing their actions as "gesture politics."

Prince William, who is the president of the FA, joined the chorus of condemnation, saying he was "sickened" by the racist abuse aimed at the England players.

"It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour," he wrote on Twitter. "It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on social media companies to do more to hold offenders to account.

"There is absolutely no place for racism in football or anywhere else," he wrote in a Twitter post. "Those responsible for the disgusting online abuse we have seen must be held accountable - and social media companies need to act immediately to remove and prevent this hate."