Hamilton subjected to racist abuse online after British GP
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[July 19, 2021]
(Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton was
subjected to racist abuse online after winning the British Grand
Prix, with social media firm Facebook saying on Monday that it had
removed a number of comments on Instagram.
The seven-times world champion celebrated a record eighth British
Grand Prix victory on Sunday at Silverstone after fighting back from
a 10-second penalty for a first-lap collision that ended up with
title rival Max Verstappen in hospital.
Hamilton, 36, was targeted online hours after the victory, with
racist messages including monkey emojis sent as replies to a post by
his Mercedes team on Instagram.
"The racist abuse directed at Hamilton during and after the British
Grand Prix is unacceptable and we've removed a number of comments
from Instagram," a spokesperson for Facebook, which owns Instagram,
said in a statement.
"In addition to our work to remove comments and accounts that
repeatedly break our rules, there are safety features available,
including comment filters and message controls, which can mean no
one has to see this type of abuse.
"No single thing will fix this challenge overnight but we're
committed to the work to keep our community safe from abuse."
In a joint statement, Mercedes, Formula One and motor sports
governing body FIA condemned the abuse of Hamilton and sought
punishment for those guilty.
"These people have no place in our sport and we urge that those
responsible should be held accountable for their actions," the
statement read.
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Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton celebrates on
the podium after winning the race Pool via REUTERS/Lars Baron
"Formula One, the FIA, the drivers and
teams are working to build a more diverse and inclusive sport and
such unacceptable instances of online abuse must be highlighted and
eliminated."
Hamilton has been a vocal advocate for social justice and among the
supporters of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.
He said before the race that he was inspired by the reaction of
England soccer players to racist abuse after their penalty shootout
defeat to Italy in the European Championship final.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met social media firms last
week to ask them step up the fight against online abuse.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter
Rutherford and Hugh Lawson)
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