ENTERTAINMENT SPORT

SHOCKING!! See What England Fans Did Again To Already Destroyed Artwork Of Rashford After Penalty Miss (PHOTOS)

July 14, 2021

Naijaloaded reported that a mural of England and Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has been vandalised following the Three Lions’ Euro 2020 final loss to Italy.

The mural has now been flooded with love signs and symbols from fans that stand against racist abuse.

It was in a backstreet in Manchester that the fightback against the Euro 2020 racists began.

Along the side of a café selling all-day breakfasts and advertising itself as the place “where good friends meet”, a crowd gathered to reclaim the Marcus Rashford mural that had been daubed with horrific graffiti after his cup final penalty miss.

There they stood there in silence as street artist Akse P19 began repairing the mural with his spray can.

Then they stepped up to write their own personal messages on hundreds of sticky notes and paper hearts placed on either side of the painting, which covers a brick wall of a street lined with shops in the suburb of Withington.

“Marcus Rashford is a person. That should be all that is necessary to be treated like one,” said a card among the tributes. “We are so proud of you,” added another.

The paper tributes began to appear only hours after the mural was vandalised following England’s Euro 2020 defeat on penalties, with the Manchester United player responding to the racism targeted at himself, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka by saying he “will never apologise for who I am”.

Helen Connor, 53, a mother-of-one and a leadership trainer who lives near the mural, told me how she began sticking the first positive messages to the wall after people had been speaking of their disgust at the vandalism in an online community group.

“I just put a few post-it notes on the wall saying Marcus Rashford was a hero,” she said.

“I started telling other people passing by to put up their own messages. The man in the café came out and asked if we wanted a cup of tea and then someone went to buy some felt-tipped pens.

“We had to do something,” she added. We couldn’t let these racists win. Marcus Rashford has made such a huge contribution to society. He’s someone who has helped to feed hungry children.”

a group of people walking down the street: People gather to look at the newly repaired mural of England footballer Marcus Rashford (Photo: Getty/Christopher Furlong)

People gather to look at the newly repaired mural of England footballer Marcus Rashford.

As the artist worked quietly away at the mural in the background, a woman put some music on a speaker and began dancing in the street. Teenagers sat on the pavement cutting out paper hearts and six pupils from a local primary school lined up to have their photograph taken with an England flag.

Other people placed flowers and a pot plant at the foot of the wall.

Abdoulaye Diop, who was wearing a replica Second World War British Army Brodie helmet as he visited the mural with his four-year-old son, said: “I was heartbroken by the penalties like everyone, but the reaction of some people was ignorant. Today we can show how much we are together.”

Jess Hunter, 31, a support worker, said: “I just wanted to show my support for Marcus Rashford and the other players, and to thank them for what they have done for the country.”

“The graffiti didn’t represent anything about this community,” said Younus Alam, 29, who went to school with the footballer’s brother.

“We’re showing today that we’re bigger and better than that. I’m not surprised so many people are here. Manchester is a down to earth place where people stick together.”

When Akse P19 had finished repairing his painting and stepped back to check his work, the crowd broke out in a respectful round of applause.

“He’s done a good job of that,” one Mancunian woman could be heard saying in the crowd as she gazed back at the face of one of the city’s favourite sons.

“When I heard what had happened, I just knew had to come back and fix it straight away,” the artist told i. “It just had to get it done. The support from people has been unbelievable.”

Watching the scene was Tru Powell, a 36-year-old dad, with his two sons, David, aged 10, and Israel, eight. He had driven two hours from Birmingham to show them the mural.

“I just felt it was really important to bring my boys here. There’s been a lot of vile stuff going around the last few days and I wanted to show the people coming together like this supporting equality.

“I wanted to say to them that these players who missed the penalties are our brothers.”

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