Zaha racially abused

July 13, 2020
Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha takes a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before the English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Sunday, July 12, 2020.
Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha takes a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before the English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Sunday, July 12, 2020.

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) :

A 12-year-old boy was arrested by police after Crystal Palace player Wilfried Zaha highlighted racist abuse he received ahead of yesterday's Premier League match at Aston Villa.

Zaha posted the screenshots on Twitter with the message: "Woke up to this today."

The racist messages and imagery referencing Zaha being black were sent on Instagram from a user who referenced Villa in his name.

"We were alerted to a series of racist messages sent to a footballer today and after looking into them and conducting checks, we have arrested a boy," West Midlands Police said on Twitter. "The 12-year-old from Solihull has been taken to custody. Thanks to everyone who raised it. Racism won't be tolerated."

Before kick-off at Villa Park, Zaha -- like all players in recent weeks -- took a knee as part of the Black Lives Matter campaign.

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