'It burns': Thompson's emotional response to hate speech directed at Latrell online
Manly Sea Eagles second-rower Joel Thompson has come out in support of Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell after the Rooster was subjected to racial abuse online.
Mitchell posted a screenshot via his Instagram account of a racist comment about him following the Roosters’ four-point victory over the Canberra Raiders, lamenting that it is “2019 and nothing is changing”.
Disgraceful. The wider community needs to start calling this out.
This shit needs to stop. pic.twitter.com/lCYrnk6V0D
— Joel Thompson (@joel_thompson12) August 11, 2019
Thompson, who responded to the post online, adding that “the wider community needs to start calling” trolls out, doubled-down on his comments in an interview.
The Indigenous All Stars representative says more has to be done to ensure people are held to account for hate speech.
The NRL Integrity Unit has announced it will investigate the online abuse of Mitchell.