Salt Lake City – Real fans hold up a sign reading, “Defect Here.” The sign was quickly censored by event staff. Real Salt Lake vs. China (Chinese Men’s National Team).
Salt Lake City – Real fans hold up a sign reading, “Defect Here.” The sign was quickly censored by event staff. Real Salt Lake vs. China (Chinese Men’s National Team).
Salt Lake City – Real Salt Lake fans displaying Tibetan flags are confronted by Real employees during a stop in the second half of the game. Players on the Chinese team, including Li Tie (8, lower left) refused to resume play unless the flags were removed. Real Salt Lake vs. China (Chinese Men’s National Team).
Salt Lake City – Real Salt Lake fans displaying Tibetan flags are confronted by Real employees during a stop in the second half of the game. Players on the Chinese team, including Li Tie (8, lower left) refused to resume play unless the flags were removed. Real Salt Lake vs. China (Chinese Men’s National Team).
Salt Lake City – Real Salt Lake fans displaying Tibetan flags are confronted by Real employees during a stop in the second half of the game. Players on the Chinese team, including Li Tie (8, lower left) refused to resume play unless the flags were removed. Real Salt Lake vs. China (Chinese Men’s National Team).
Salt Lake City – Real Salt Lake fans displaying Tibetan flags are confronted by Real employees during a stop in the second half of the game. Players on the Chinese team, including Li Tie (8, lower left) refused to resume play unless the flags were removed. Real Salt Lake vs. China (Chinese Men’s National Team).
Here’s what I wrote in 2007:
Last night Real Salt Lake played a friendly with the Chinese Men’s National Team. As the match started, I noticed fans across the stadium with a sign directed at the Chinese players which read, “Defect Here.” The sign probably lasted thirty seconds before a man with a Real windbreaker had the fans put it away.
In the second half the match was halted as a man on the Chinese bench (you can see him at lower left of the photo below, pointing) protested the display of Tibetan flags by the same group of fans. Several Chinese players were also visibly protesting the flags (or the fans’ behavior — I was across the stadium). The fans also had big-tongue Mao masks.
Again, men in Real windbreakers moved into position to insist on the removal of the offending items. This time the fans protested for a while before they finally folded up their flags.
Probably not the best show of hospitality on the part of the fans. But isn’t this supposed to be the land of the free? Do we need to be regulating flags?
