EURO 2020 is not the first major sporting event to find itself at the centre of a storm over racism.

The 1968 Olympics black power salute by athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos was an iconic moment for anti-racists and boldly expressed the ideals of black power amid the civil rights movement and the fight against the Vietnam war.

Opposition to the Springboks’ tour in 1969-70 brought the reality of South Africa’s apartheid regime to the heart of British society.

It is over 25 years since the day footballer Eric Cantona launched himself into the stands at Selhurst Park to kung fu kick a racist — a much-celebrated moment.

The England team’s insistence on taking the knee — in the face of booing and opposition from the British government — has created a storm.

Taking the knee is evidence that the Black Lives Matter movement was not just a “moment” but has made a permanent mark on our society.

The government may well regret its support for attacks on the team in the light of their amazing success.

Boris Johnson is now wearing his No 10 England shirt — but we should never forget that he and Priti Patel were defending the “right” of so-called supporters to boo the England team for its stance against racism.

It’s ironic that an England team predominantly made up of the sons of immigrants, with leading black players, should now be lauded by a government that does nothing but attack immigration — from immigration raids to the Windrush scandal.

They opened the door for the likes of Nigel Farage and Laurence Fox to attack the players, while Tory MPs compared Take The Knee to England players giving the fascist salute in front of Hitler in the 1930s and called for a boycott of England games — without any challenge from the Tory leadership.

Far from being the pampered elite that the racist right would like to paint them as, players like Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford have experienced racism first hand — both as young men growing up in working-class communities and as star players, with online abuse and attacks by the media.

Their example has clearly inspired the team. Gareth Southgate and the whole England team were prepared to stand firm — despite the boos and the government’s failure to condemn them.

But the team’s stance is also a reflection of the wider sentiment of anti-racism that exists in many multicultural working-class communities.

It’s interesting that Italy and England — the two finalists who’ll meet this Sunday — have the highest level of support among their populations for their teams taking the knee.

Johnson’s and Patel’s attack on Take The Knee is part of their “culture war” — an assault on so called “woke” culture and their ongoing attacks on the anti-racist movement.

They are desperate to drive back the gains of the BLM movement, from their new “free speech” Bill for university campuses to the new police Bill that — alongside its attack on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities — targets those who pull down the statues of racists and slaveowners with 10-year sentences.

The last thing the government wants is popular cultural figures promoting anti-racism on such a massive stage.

Patel argued that she was against the “gesture politics” of Take The Knee. But it’s clear that this is more than just a gesture.

Thousands of people in working-class communities across Britain joined Take The Knee events last summer organised by Stand Up to Racism as part of the BLM explosion — alongside the TUC we initiated these actions in towns, cities and workplaces on the anniversary of the death of George Floyd on May 25 this year.

The “gesture” by England, Belgium, Wales and other teams has inspired anti-racists.

The German and Scotland teams joined England players in solidarity to Take The Knee despite the years of bitter rivalry between the teams because, as German manager Joachim Low said, they “shared the values” of the BLM movement.

But while international teams have come together to oppose racism, Johnson and Patel prefer the model of conflict jingoism and nationalism expressed by George Orwell: “[Football] has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words, it is war minus the shooting.”

And talking about wars, we should remember Italian footballer Bruno Neri who in the 1930s was an anti-fascist and partisan. In 1944 at the age of 33 he was murdered by the fascists.

In the wake of the incredible BLM movement amid the sharpening political polarisation of pandemic and crisis, the Euro 2020 has reflected this, with players across different borders standing together, and a particularly strong example was the unity of Scotland joining England in #TakeTheKnee, going against the grain of the nationalistic jingoism that is whipped up by the Establishment and runs alongside the tournaments, to challenge institutional racism on a global stage.

On Sunday we celebrate the fact that at an event watched by tens of millions, England players will Take The Knee against racism again. We hope the Italian team will join them.

But we should never allow the Tories’ attempts to stoke up opposition to anti-racism be forgotten or allow themselves to wrap themselves in “the flag” after attacking a team that has faced hostility to highlight the ongoing reality of racism.

The Tories’ Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report claimed that institutional racism doesn’t exist in Britain — despite Covid-19 and the ongoing reality of police racism and discrimination in education, housing, employment and throughout our society.

That’s why they hate the fact that England players won’t forget the lesson of George Floyd’s death — that black lives do matter and the time for being silent is over. 

We love football, we hate racism.

Weyman Bennett is co-convener of Stand Up to Racism.