It is now a punishable offense to hold up signs or wear t-shirts in support of the Hong Kong freedom movement at NBA games, as the professional basketball league continues to implement the very same authoritarian tactics as its financial bedfellow, communist China.
During a recent Washington Wizards game in our nation's capital, NBA fans who were caught holding "Free Hong Kong" and "Google 'Uyghurs" signs and wearing "Free Hong Kong" t-shirts had their property confiscated from them by security guards at the Capital One Arena. Ironically, this all happened as the National Anthem was being sung in the background.
"We're not allowing any political signs tonight," the security guard told the fans. "We don't do it here. I'm not about having a conference with you ... I'm not going back and forth with you," he went on to say in chiding rebuke of these fans' free speech rights.
Video footage of the incident as captured by one of the fans is available for viewing on Twitter.
The NBA actually kicked fans out of a game for holding up pro-Hong Kong signs
A similar incident took place at an NBA game in Philadelphia recently as well, where two fans were forcibly ejected from the game for holding up "Free Hong Kong" signs and chanting.
Video footage of this incident is also available on Twitter.
Amazingly, the NBA has no official policy on the books prohibiting such signs, and neither does the Wells Fargo Center where this particular incident took place. The only requirement by the facility itself is that signs be "in good taste and appropriate for the event."
The NBA similarly only prohibits "obscene or indecent messages on signs or clothing," with no mention of political statements, which means the NBA is now making up its own rules when it comes to freedom of expression at its games.
Even if the NBA were to suddenly enshrine a ban on all political signs as part of its official policy, what type of message would this send to the public, and to NBA fans, especially in light of the fact that the NBA has no problem with leftist political action and messaging at its games, including attacks on President Trump.
"Players have worn league-sanctioned, politically-charged slogans on their bodies during warm-ups – with the media applauding along," adds Guy Benson, writing for Townhall.
ESPN, Blizzard, and Apple are all similarly colluding with communist China for profit
Along with the NBA, ESPN has joined up with communist China as a matter of policy, as has Blizzard Entertainment.
Apple is also an ally of communist China, as the iPhone manufacturer recently decided to pull the Taiwanese flag emoji from all iPhones in Hong Kong.
"The Chinese government in Beijing is clearly turning the screws hard on the NBA, making it abundantly clear just how financially painful things will get if any other league-affiliated people 'step out of line' by defending democracy in Hong Kong (I'm sure this lesson applies equally, if not more, to condemnations of the regime's endless human rights abuses)," Benson adds, noting that China is already retaliating against the NBA for apparently not doing enough to quell the free speech of its fans.
"It is not subtle who the bad guys are here," he concludes, referring, of course, to communist China. "The question is whether American corporations, organizations and brands will continue to effectively take their side, or tap dance, for profit."
For more related news about Chinese-controlled entities like the NBA, ESPN, Blizzard, and Apple that are openly engaging in treason against the United States and the First Amendment to the Constitution, be sure to check out Censorship.news.
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