The England forward said that he was “lost for words”
Demonstrators who turned out in their numbers at a mural of Marcus Rashford all took the knee in a show of support of the Manchester United player.
The mural was defaced after Rashford missed a penalty for England in their penalty shootout defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday, with the 23-year-old also suffering a torrent of racist abuse on his social media accounts along with Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka.
On Tuesday, a vigil took place at the mural in Withington, South Manchester, as hundreds showed solidarity with Rashford.
The abuse that had been painted on the artwork was initially covered him with messages of love and support for Rashford, in a spontaneous show of unity for the player who has done so much work off the pitch in recent years.
After seeing pictures of the demonstration and the messages of support and thanks plastered across the wall, the forward tweeted: “Overwhelmed. Thankful. Lost for words.”
Overwhelmed. Thankful. Lost for words ♥️🏴 pic.twitter.com/PXC5H2GDtB
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) July 13, 2021
In a powerful moment, the hundreds of protestors all took the knee in a showing of solidarity with Rashford.
Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Marcus Rashford mural for a peaceful anti-racism demonstration.
Members of the community addressed the 700-strong crowd, as people took the knee in solidarity. https://t.co/dCVKXHFOGt pic.twitter.com/mCg9B6tbUo
— BBC North West (@BBCNWT) July 13, 2021
The mural has now been repaired by its creator, with the messages of support remaining for all to see.
Meanwhile, as you can see in the bottom right image that Rashford shared, a note from Reggie reads: “Thank you for all our dinner.”
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) July 13, 2021
During the pandemic, the Manchester United Player launched a campaign to feed children across the UK. As an ambassador for FareShare, Rashfords name and contribution spurred an estimated £20m in donations. This earned him a spot on the Sunday Times giving list, an honorary doctorate, and an MBE from The Queen.
His continued efforts to fight child poverty in the UK have earned him the respect of the nation. However, when he missed during Sunday’s penalties, Rashford and several other players were the victims of racial abuse online. Less than an hour after the game finished, his mural had been defaced.
The mural usually reads: “Take pride in knowing that your struggle will play the biggest role in your purpose.”
