Tennis Australia bans T-shirts and posters supporting Peng Shuai

Tennis Australia defended its choice of asking Australian Open spectators to take off T-shirts with a message in help of Chinese Tennis star Peng Shuai. During the continuing Australian Open, police and safety authorities had compelled two spectators to take away a T-shirt with the phrases “Where is Peng Shuai?” that they had been sporting. A poster bearing the identical assertion was additionally seized.
In a video that had gone viral on social media, a pro-democracy campaigner from Hong Kong Max Mok and a fellow spectator had been requested to take away their T-Shirts with pro-Peng Shuai graffiti. The T-shirts had a photograph of Peng on the entrance beneath the phrase “Wanted”, whereas the again of the T-shirt had “Where is Peng Shuai?” printed on it. The cops had defined to them that the fabric violated Tennis Australia’s ban on political statements on the event. “I’m not saying you can’t have those views, but Tennis Australia sets the rules here,” a police officer had instructed them.
At the top of the video, a police officer provides, “The Australian Open does have a rule that there can’t be any political slogans.”
Tennis Australia expressed concern about Peng’s security however acknowledged that supporters on the Australian Open weren’t licensed to make political feedback with their garments. “Under our ticket conditions of entry, we do not allow commercial or political clothing, banners, or placards,” acknowledged a Tennis Australia consultant.
Peng Shuai and her disappearance
According to stories, Chinese tennis participant Peng Shuai went lacking after accusing former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her into intercourse at his home. 35-year-old Peng is a doubles champion at Wimbledon and the French Open. She wrote a prolonged message on the Chinese social media website Weibo in November 2021. According to screenshots of a now-deleted social media put up dated November 2, she has not been seen in public since making the fees towards Zhang Gaoli. After eradicating Peng Shuai’s preliminary put up inside half-hour, Chinese censors erased any references to the claims from the web. Peng Shuai’s Weibo account, which has over 500,000 followers, had additionally vanished.
Her disappearance sparked widespread nervousness for her security. The United Nations, the White House, athletes, and campaigners have all spoken out concerning the disappearance.
The revelation of Peng Shuai’s disappearance got here solely months earlier than China is ready to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in February. However, the Chinese official media has supposedly revealed an e-mail wherein Shuai, a tennis star, retracted her claims and acknowledged that she is alright.