“The story of Peng Shuai must continue to exist.”

First, Novak Djokovic got the Australian Open organizers in trouble. Now the handling of the Peng Shuai case has caused criticism of the tournament. Protests in favor of the missing tennis player were initially banned.

The activists had placed two tables in front of several television cameras and placed some boxes on them when two security guards from Tennis Australia approached the group. One of the employees asked shyly and in a cautious voice, “Can you put the table a few meters away from the entrance?” And he kept his distance because of the aura. One of the activists looked around at his comrades-in-arms, who nodded. Then the young man from Hong Kong replied, “Sure, no problem – let’s do it.”

As of 4:30 p.m. local time, three hours ago Historic women’s final with Australian champion Asli Partey At the Australian Open in Melbourne, activists from the newly formed Australian Party’s “Democratic Alliance” set up media-effective platforms at each of the entrances to this year’s first Grand Slam.

There the activists behaved like friendly barkers. But they didn’t sell anything. Give eggs free to those who attended the finals shirts With a black inscription: “Where’s Peng Shuai?” wrote on these. They printed 1,000 copies in the week after the group raised nearly A$20,000 via a collection page.

It was the latest organized act to draw attention to Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, who is still considered in hiding, this week on the sidelines of the Australian Open. The group had already celebrated a point victory over Tennis Australia in front of the entrance to the media on Tuesday. The host had them shirts It was initially banned, but then allowed after negative publicity.

Now they are there with supplies. “We cannot allow Australians to be gagged at the Australian Open,” activist Drew Buffalo told t-online. “Peng Shuai cannot speak freely, nor can she speak to the Western media. She is censored by the Chinese government. We want to make sure this story survives.”

Shortly before the Beijing Olympics: Ping Shuai flooded

Peng Shuai, the former world number one in doubles rankings from China, accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual abuse of power in a statement released on November 2 via her official account – most likely the same – on the social media platform Weibo in China. Zhang was also a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party from 2012 to 2017. This was the first time that a politician from the ruling party had faced the allegations of #metoo. The post was deleted less than half an hour after it was published and censored in China.

Peng Shuai in February 2020 at the Thai Open: their whereabouts are unclear. (Source: Schreyer Images / Imago)

Since then she has not shown any independent sign that she is safe and well and has not come under pressure from the Chinese authorities. Questionable videos published by the state media were repeatedly circulated. Unlike the major sports leagues such as the English Premier League and the NBA, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has vigorously defended itself against the influence of the Middle Kingdom and canceled all tennis tournaments in China for 2022. Shortly before the Winter Olympics in Beijing, this story became an issue global politics.

The championship is two main Chinese sponsors

In Melbourne, Novak Djokovic’s entry saga initially dominated the headlines. Exactly a week ago, a TikTok video of activists went viral. The security personnel showed up with the police officers who were called in a small group with them shirts And the signs refused to enter the facility. Tournament officials around tournament director Craig Tilly, who was already under pressure over his handling of the “Djokovic affair,” then referred to ticket regulations, under which no political statements or statements may be made public.

In memory of Bing Shuai: Activists before the Australian Open final in Melbourne. (Source: Frank Moulter / dpa)

With Luzhou Laojiao Liquor Company and DeRucci Mattress Factory, two Chinese companies are listed among the main sponsors on the tournament website. French professional Nicolas Mahut retweeted the video after the incident a week ago and commented: “What’s the point? There’s a lack of courage. What if you don’t have Chinese sponsors?”

After greats such as Martina Navratilova publicly criticized the decision, Tennis Australia eased the regulation on Tuesday morning. The media pressure seems to be getting too much. shirts Allowed now – but banners are still prohibited. “If anyone wanted to come to the facility with the intent of disrupting the Australian Open or using the event as a platform and jeopardizing the comfort and safety of our fans, they would not be welcome. If one of them were T-shirt Wear it and make a statement to Peng Shuai, that’s fine,” Tiley explained.

Tournament Director Tilly: He gave in to the pressure of the crowd. (Source: Image pool / imago images)

Tennis Australia avoided more negative publicity on Saturday, just before the final between Barty and American outlandish Daniel Collins. Two security officers monitored the activists’ activities but did not interfere. Viewers interested in T-shirt I decided, they were allowed into the facility without any problems.

“I think they should be friendly with all the media attention,” said Buffalo, who spoke to rushing fans at the same time as the interview. shirts Too many: We also have yellow labels written in Chinese characters for the word “missing”. “There were also yellow ribbons as a symbol.

Activist banned from private university

Pavlo and his associates consider themselves activists and have founded the Democratic Alliance Party over the past six months. “It aims to bring together everyone who has been affected by the Chinese government’s crackdown in Australia,” the 22-year-old said on Tuesday. He and fellow activists are running for the upcoming Senate elections in four states, and the party already has about 3,000 members. “All candidates have experienced some form of persecution and have roots in Hong Kong, Tibet, Uyghurs and Europe,” says John Mainland, who helps set up the structures.

For example, Buffalo was banned from his university in Queensland after drawing attention to abuses in Hong Kong in 2019. He was injured in a collision with pro-Beijing students who traveled there. He says the university dropped him and blamed him. The Chinese government has applied a lot of pressure. That is why he wanted to expand his political commitment.

Activist Buffalo: “Do you want to make sure that the story of Bing Shuai stays relevant?” (Source: AAP Images / imago)

There was no official statement from Tennis Australia in the final on Saturday. A spokesperson for the association wrote to The Associated Press that shirts It will also be allowed on Saturdays, as long as you don’t work in large groups.

Arriving at the entrance two hours before the finals, one of the mothers purposely walked into the booth and asked, “Can I wear six shirts?” Her five children stood behind her. They were all taken care of. The first thing they did when they got to the facility was to take a picture in front of a sign showing Asleigh Barty. There was a lot in this picture: Barty has original roots. The family pictured has African American roots. They were wearing it shirts, Who drew attention to a Chinese tennis player who hid. In the tournament that is also supported in China.

While Channel 7 is one of the largest broadcasters in the country, T-shirt promotion In the main news, the tournament announcer, Channel 9, stayed away from the protests until just before the final. Those responsible seem to be trying hard to find a balance between respect for freedom of expression and the influence that the Chinese sponsors have in this tournament.