The ethics body of the French soccer federation is urging fans to remain neutral amid nationwide student protests that have drawn international attention, after supporters displayed banners referencing the demonstrations during recent matches.
The protests, described as largely peaceful, have been met with a muscular police response that has drawn criticism, and soccer fans in stadiums have expressed support for the students. Riot police have used tear gas and batons to disperse crowds, with more than 6,600 arrests made nationwide as of last week, an unusually high number for a French protest movement.
Among the injuries blamed on police weaponry, a tear gas grenade shattered a 14-year-old's jaw and many of his teeth, while a 15-year-old lost a hand in an incident involving a stun grenade. Other adolescents have also suffered life-changing injuries, according to the report.
During a Ligue 1 match between Lens and Lyon last week, home fans unfurled a banner calling for an end to "disproportionate and systematic police violence," according to the Conseil national de l'Éthique et de Déontologie (CNE). The CNE also noted that at the half-hour mark of a match between PSG and Le Mans, supporters displayed a banner reading: "Your militias repress; our youth resist."
The ethics body said in a statement that it was easy to understand why young supporters, who are often students, might take advantage of matches to publicly express their support for the demonstrators. However, it added that the principle of political neutrality "is enshrined" in the laws of sport, both internationally through the Olympic Charter and FIFA statutes, and at the national level.
The CNE recalled that any speech or display of a political, ideological, religious or trade union nature is prohibited, as is the wearing of symbols or clothing expressing political, philosophical, religious or trade union affiliation.
"Sport should unite, not divide," the CNE said. "The National Council for Football Ethics therefore calls on all supporters, who are an integral part of the football family, to uphold the principle of neutrality in all circumstances."
"The aim is to ensure that the stadium does not become a political or trade union battleground, but remains a place of celebration and shared enjoyment centered on sport," the statement added.
