Spanish police have arrested and questioned four people on suspicion of orchestrating an online hate campaign aimed at inciting racial abuse against Real Madrid star forward Vinicius Jr. The campaign, which urged Atlético Madrid fans to wear face masks during the Madrid derby to conceal their identities while insulting the Brazilian player, went viral and sparked widespread condemnation, Al Jazeera reports.
The detentions, which took place on October 14 and 15, mark the first arrests linked to the campaign that targeted Vinicius Jr. in the lead-up to the September 29 derby at Atlético Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium. The campaign, which used the hashtag #MetropolitanoConMascarilla (Metropolitano with a Mask), aimed to exploit the anonymity provided by face masks to facilitate racial abuse.
Vinicius Jr. has been subjected to racist abuse at multiple matches in Spain, prompting him to label LaLiga, the nation’s top football league, and Spain as “racist” last year after enduring slurs during a match at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium.
In a landmark case, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for hate crimes against Vinicius Jr. in June, marking the first conviction for racist insults within a Spanish football stadium.
While Spanish police have not publicly named the four people arrested, the investigation remains open and could lead to further arrests.
The online campaign, described by police as having raised “significant social alarm,” prompted LaLiga to call for the arrest of those involved the day before the derby, deeming the campaign as incitement to hatred.
