Monitoring

To support the preventative work, FARE will use its expertise with monitors at each of the 31 games. FARE will have accredited observers inside stadiums to monitor and report on racism and discrimination as well as on positive and anti-racist episodes

DON´T TURN YOUR BACK. REPORT RACISM!

Two telephone hotlines and an e-mail account have been set up for ordinary fans and spectators to report racism and discrimination. The multilingual hotlines are advertised alongside an email in the FARE fanzine (English/German and French/Italian version) If you see or hear any incidents of racial or homophobic abuse, inside or outside stadiums or at the Fan Zone during the tournament please call a FARE hotline number to report it.

Incidents can be reported via the phone numbers

++43 171 13 59487 (from Austria)

++41 031 333 33 40 (from Switzerland)

via e-mail report-racism@vidc.org or through the form on this web-site.

FARE will also encourage reports of positive experiences at the EURO 2008 to gage a clear idea of how anti- racism and celebratory activities organised where received.

Calls and mails will be dealt with by the relevant authorities.

TRAINING GUIDE FOR STEWARDS

Training guide and advice - FARE also produced and distributed a training Guide on Racist and far-right symbols to be used by the monitors and security staff working at the stadia during UEFA EURO 2008 including advice on identifying and combating racism and racist symbols.

BACKGROUND

Monitoring racist and discriminatory chanting and symbolism was a key element of the FARE network's UEFA EURO 2004 anti-racism programme. In Portugal 2004 for the first time at a major football tournament a FARE monitoring team attended selected matches to observe racist incidents in and around stadiums, draw on the fan contacts within the network to pass on any information on potential for racial abuse, while a multi- lingual telephone reporting number was available for fans to call and report racist or xenophobic incidents.

The most notable success of the monitoring initiative was the identification of two racist ‘White Power’ banners at the Croatia versus France match. Based on the report of the FARE observers detailing the use of a white power symbol and providing images of the flag the Croatian FA was fined for the display of the banners. This was the first time a sanction for racism had been applied at a major international sporting tournament and UEFA were widely congratulated for this step. Outside stadiums FARE experts spotted racist and right-extremist T-shirts, tattoos, caps, graffiti and banners.

The monitoring approach at the EURO 2008 builds on the invaluable experience the FARE network gained in Portugal. FARE intends to monitor and maintain a constant engagement with fan groups to clearly identify any potential manifestations of racial abuse throughout the FIFA World Cup tournament.