Australian Open censors T-shirts supporting Peng

Peng Shuai returns to the fore. The Chinese tennis player made headlines at the end of last year for being missing for a few months, after accusing a high-ranking government official of her country of having sexually abused her. And this weekend there has been controversy in Australia as a result of the fact that a spectator who wore a shirt in support of the Chinese cause saw how the organization of the tournament forced her to take it off.

The images have been published by the Herald Sun, one of the leading Australian daily newspapers. It shows how the police, at the request of Tennis Australia, the local federation, confiscate the garment, with a screen print that reads: “Wanted. Where is Peng Shuai?

Tennis Australia alleged, in statements to News Corp, that although he feared for the tennis player’s safety, fans are not allowed to wear messages of a political nature in Open matches: “According to the entry conditions of our tickets, we do not allow clothing, banners or signs with commercial or political messages “, assured a representative of the organization. “Peng Shuai’s safety is our primary concern. We continue to work with the WTA and the global tennis community to seek further clarity on her situation and will do everything we can to ensure her well-being,” he added.

For its part, the police of the state of Victoria, in which Melbourne is located, also told News Corp that they would make “consultations” on the matter. Since the event, a GoFundMe page that aims to raise money for Peng’s cause through the distribution of T-shirts as the recall has raised more than $6,500. This money will go to produce more T-shirts of the style, as well as banners, for a protest that is scheduled for Saturday, before the women’s final of the tournament.