Australian Open under fire after asking fans to remove shirts criticizing China over Peng Shuai
Martina Navratilova said display was a 'human rights statement,' not a political one
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Australian Open organizers came under fire after a video posted to social media over the weekend showed fans being asked to remove shirts that referenced Chinese doubles player Peng Shuai, who disappeared momentarily from the public eye in November after she accused a former top Communist Party official of sexual assault.
Security at Melbourne Park was seen confiscating shirts and a banner that read "Where is Peng Shuai?" in a video posted to TikTok on Saturday, according to ESPN.
FAN EJECTED AFTER FIGHT BREAKS OUT AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police were eventually called to the scene and one officer can reportedly be heard saying "The Australian Open does have a rule that you can't have political slogans ... it's a rule that it's a condition of entry."
Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai signs large-sized tennis balls at the opening ceremony of Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Final in Beijing, China, on Nov. 21, 2021.
Tennis Australia issued a statement in response to the video saying that while Peng’s safety is "our primary concern," fans are not allowed to politically protest at the tournament.
"Under our ticket conditions of entry we don't allow clothing, banners or signs that are commercial or political," the statement read, via Reuters. "Peng Shuai's safety is our primary concern. We continue to work with the WTA and global tennis community to seek more clarity on her situation and will do everything we can to ensure her well-being."
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Peng, 35, made headlines in November when she wrote a lengthy post on Chinese social media platform Weibo that alleged former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli forced her to have sex despite repeated refusals following a round of tennis three years ago. She further claimed Zhang’s wife guarded the door during the incident.
Shuai Peng of China during day two of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 15, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Fred Lee/Getty Images)
The post disappeared from her account, and China’s state-controlled media appeared to repress any reporting on the case. Peng also disappeared from the public for two weeks after making the initial post. She later emerged to deny saying she was sexually assaulted and that she was mainly staying at home in Beijing but was free to come and go as she chose.
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Martina Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam winner, slammed Tennis Australia for their stance, saying the display was a "human rights statement," not a political one.
"I find it really, really cowardly," she said on the Tennis Channel, via Reuters. "I think they are wrong on this. This is not a political statement, this is a human rights statement."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Shuai Peng of China plays a backhand on day four of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 23, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
"(Tennis Australia is) just really capitulating on this issue ... letting the Chinese really dictate what they do at their own Slam. I just find it really weak."