August 22 – Major League Soccer (MLS) has granted the Columbus Crew permission to display exactly ONE Palestinian flag at home games to support new signing Wessam Abou Ali who plays internationally for the country.
Under MLS’s current policy, Crew supporters can show precisely one Palestinian flag for Abou Ali, one Ukrainian flag for defender Yevhen Cheberko, and so on for their international players.
In March, Crew supporters brought “around a dozen Ukrainian flags” for Cheberko, who was feeling “isolated”. No one stopped them. But when Palestinian flags entered the conversation, well, the dialogue changed.
“It seems like the policy either was now being interpreted differently or enforced differently,” noted Nordecke supporters group spokesman Collin Hill, highlighting the selective application that makes this situation scream politics.
MLS previously allowed any national flag until October 2023, when the Hamas attack prompted restrictions on flags “not previously present at a given stadium.”
The 26-year-old Abou Ali, who represents Palestine after having switched from Denmark, has become the centre of political theatre where supporters must formally request permission to show support for their own players’ heritage.
Crew supporters are now negotiating with executives about hanging their single approved flag “from a designated section” which would seemingly bring more attention to the flag?
The league’s existing conduct rules already prohibit political campaigning, making this flag arithmetic both unnecessary and counterproductive.
Instead of trusting supporters to distinguish between supporting players’ heritage and making political statements, MLS has created a system that has generated more controversy and news than allowing natural fan expression ever would.
Meanwhile, an unlimited number of US flags are allowed to be displayed in stadiums…go figure!
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1755856032labto1755856032ofdlr1755856032owedi1755856032sni@r1755856032etsbe1755856032w.kci1755856032n1755856032
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