Gabriel Jesus said it feels as though racists have not got brains as he revealed he had been a victim of racist abuse.
The Manchester City forward was the target of bigots when playing for Brazilian club Palmeiras in Uruguay and voiced his support for the Black Lives Matter campaign.
Last weekend, Bundesliga players, including the former City winger Jadon Sancho, showed their backing for the cause after the killing of George Floyd, an African American, by Minnesota police.
There has been a wave of protests across the world, and Jesus believes they have to be peaceful, but he believes a tipping point has been reached where millions of people have felt the need to speak out against racism.
“Racism isn’t a problem that only started in recent days and it isn’t normal, so people do feel that they have had enough, and they have exploded," he said.
“I’m against violence or any sort of violent protest. I’m all in favour of peaceful protests in order to say 'no to racism' and whenever we say 'Black Lives Matter', we should also read it correctly and understand the meaning behind it.
“We aren’t saying that other lives don’t matter, but we are saying that the lives of black people who feel racism, matter. We can’t generalise it.
“Not everyone is racist, the majority aren’t, but lots of people are and it’s like they haven’t got brains. So, when we use that sentence it’s because we know what it is to be a victim of racism. It is painful to feel it.”
Jesus said he learnt from the trauma of being abused, adding: “I have suffered a couple of times. I’ve managed to elevate myself [above it].
"On one occasion, I was in Uruguay whilst competing for the Libertadores Cup. One of the pictures I’ve recently posted is because I’m black and I’m from a favela and I was able to learn from those experiences, but everyone reacts and feels differently and I’ve got my way.
“This is a very important movement, because there is a time that people do wake up and these actions that we’ve seen lately aren’t normal and they shouldn’t happen.
"Therefore there is a moment that we have to say 'enough, time to stop' and it is important to show your position on this matter and this sentence is very clear on how tired people have been exhausted for a while, tired of injustice.
“I know it is difficult to speak about peace, but if we were to follow our lives based on peace, it would be a lot better.”
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Background: Chemical Weapons
