ANTHONY JOSHUA has hit back at critics of his Black Lives Matter protest speech by saying: “If you think I’m a racist, go f*** yourself”.
The boxer, 30, gave a passionate speech at a demonstration in his home town of Watford on Saturday.
Protests have been attended by tens of thousands of people across the UK in London, Manchester, Watford, Bristol, Edinburgh and Cardiff.
A string of celebrities were also spotted at the rallies with Joshua, Stormzy, Rio Ferdinand and Madonna all supporting the demonstrations across the weekend.
Using pal Reece Campbell’s words, Joshua told his Watford home crowd that protesters were the vaccine to the virus of racism.
The fighter said: “The virus has been declared a pandemic, it is out of control. And I’m not talking about Covid-19. The virus I’m referring to is called racism. We need to speak out. We need to be united.”
In an expletive-laden riposte to those who questioned his intentions on social media, Joshua vowed to make good on his promise to help turn the talking into action.
Joshua wrote: “‘If you think I’m a racist, go f*** yourself! If you watch the full video, the speech was passed around for someone to read and I took the lead.
“I personally spoke from the heart about the Watford community, ideas of us personally investing 7 figures to create unity and opportunities and adding change to the African/Caribbean community.
“I said what I said and I will act to make change.”
It comes as we revealed Joshua plans to create a new community centre near where he lives with son JJ, four.
He told The Sun: “If you want to be the change, the change has to come from within.
“I appreciate the people who protest but once the awareness is raised, we need to create economic change.
“We need to look at education — readers become leaders.”
Joshua wants to buy a building to create a hub for learning which will allow kids from different backgrounds to get to know each other.
He added: “I am focused on the local community.
“We want to create a centre to help people get educated, for them to gather together and bring some unity.
“I want to give kids a place to go and learn, so if they get into a confrontation with someone who is not from the same country or culture as them, they are not ignorant and they won’t judge them for what they look like.”
Joshua has already had talks with the local council along with community groups.
A source said: “AJ has been doing lots of things in the local community but the recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations have brought that all to the forefront.”
Watford’s Tory MP Dean Russell also gave his “whole-hearted support” to the plan.
He added: “Hopefully it can be a beacon for other centres across the UK.”
Meanwhile England footballer Raheem Sterling insisted racism is “the only disease right now” and said he will continue to speak out on the issue in the hope it will contribute to lasting change.
Speaking to Emily Maitlis on BBC Newsnight in an interview to be broadcast this evening, Sterling said: “I know this might sound a little bit cheesy but the only disease right now is the racism that we are fighting.
“This is the most important thing at this moment in time because this is something that is happening for years and years. Just like the pandemic, we want to find a solution to stop it.
“At the same time, this is what all these protesters are doing. They are trying to find a solution and a way to stop the injustice they are seeing, and they are fighting for their cause.
“As long as they are doing it peacefully and safely and not hurting anybody and not breaking into any stores, they continue to protest in this peaceful way.”
Sterling has previously taken a lead in calling out racism in both the domestic and international game.
Last year he counselled fellow professionals against walking off the pitch in the event of racial abuse, and has also called for the establishing of a player-led anti-racism task-force.
This weekend’s largely peaceful protests were marred by violent scenes with police officers pictured bleeding in the streets after a minority of yobs hurled fireworks, bottles and even bikes.
But petty acts of vandalism included the Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi statues being defaced in Parliament Square.
And four thousand people descended on peaceful demonstrations in Bristol where a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled by protesters.
Home Secretary Priti Patel branded the escalation of violence as “lawless and reckless” and described the scenes as “disgraceful vandalism” by a “thuggish minority”.
Boris Johnson tweeted: “People have a right to protest peacefully & while observing social distancing but they have no right to attack the police.
“These demonstrations have been subverted by thuggery – and they are a betrayal of the cause they purport to serve. Those responsible will be held to account.”
