Activists laud TA decision to reverse ban on ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ shirts

Activists behind the plan to distribute “Where is Peng Shuai?” T-shirts at the Australian Open women’s final on Saturday have lauded Tennis Australia’s decision to reverse its ban after a global backlash.

TA chief executive Craig Tiley on Tuesday confirmed to the Herald and The Age that banners will still be barred due to safety concerns, but the T-shirts will now be permitted after initially being banned.

A recent Peng Shuai banner at Melbourne Park.Credit: Twitter

“So we support the WTA’s position but at the same time we have terms and conditions about coming on site,” Tiley said.

“What we’ve said is that if anyone comes on site with an intent to disrupt and use the Australian Open as a platform for themselves and really disrupts the comfort and the safety of our fans, then they’re not welcome.

“However, if someone wants to wear a T-shirt and make a statement about Peng Shuai, that’s fine.

“But what’s not fine is if that someone brings in a big banner and it’s got big poles attached to it and it’s used as something [which is dangerous], it really takes away from the comfort and safety of the fans. We’ll stick to those terms and conditions.

“One of the things that will be allowed is that if someone wants to wear a T-shirt [with] their personal view on something; but if they come in as a mob to disrupt, that’s not OK.”

The move was applauded by Max Mok, one of the two spectators who had T-shirts and a banner supporting Peng’s cause confiscated at Melbourne Park last week.

“Yesterday they were holding their stance and saying they won’t let shirts or messages in. They’ve found it in themselves to let us in,” Mok said.

Mok believed the decision to reverse the ban was purely due to pressure applied by media, tennis legends and the masses on social media.

“It’s purely down to the media coverage we’ve received worldwide and within Australia,” he said.

“We’ve been on front pages, people have pressured Tennis Australia and they have finally realised what’s right.”

The TA decision came after the WTA – which has pulled all its tournaments from China this year – backed TA’s original approach.

“The WTA’s long-time policy is that ticketing decisions are made by each individual tournament,” a WTA spokesperson told the Herald and The Age on Tuesday morning.

Peng Shuai has appeared infrequently on Chinese social media since early November when she used Weibo to accuse the former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault.Credit: AP

“The WTA appreciates the Australian Open’s commitment to Peng Shuai and we know they join us in being worried about her health and safety.

“We continue to hope she is safe and free from coercion in any form and we continue in our unwavering call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault.”

Tiley reiterated TA’s support for Peng’s cause, and revealed the organisation used its “resources in the region” to try and establish the Chinese player was safe in the immediate aftermath of her disappearance.

“From the beginning we were concerned about her whereabouts and her wellbeing,” Tiley said.

“We worked very closely with the WTA, very early on in fact. We were one of the first to stand in a press conference and talk about it.

“We used our resources in the region in the first instance to help locate where she was, and then work closely with the WTA on that.

“Since then, she’s come out and made some statements. Our position has been pretty clear about zero tolerance to sexual abuse.”

TA’s reversal comes less than 24 hours since it doubled down on its initial stance.

On Monday night, a spokesperson said any clothing deemed political would not be permitted at Melbourne Park.

“To ensure that the Australian Open remains a welcoming, safe and inclusive event for everyone, we have a long-standing policy of not allowing banners, signs or clothing that are commercial or political,” the spokesperson said.

“On this occasion, the security guard was simply enforcing this policy and while we have reviewed this and are happy to welcome the patron back to Melbourne Park, the policy will continue to be applied in relation to any items that compromise the safety and comfort of AO fans.”

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