UPDATE: This is a league wide mandate, because it also happened yesterday.
The NBA continues to capitulate to communist China by censoring players and threatening to fire managers who dare to speak out in support of Hong Kong protestors pursuing freedom. Now, they're censoring American fans.
Last night during a Washington Wizards game in the Nation's Capitol, a security guard hired by the NBC confiscated signs from fans that read "Free Hong Kong" and "Google 'Uyghurs.'" Adding insult to injury, the "Free Hong Kong" signs were confiscated during the National Anthem.
Watch:
Just had our “Free Hong Kong” sign confiscated at Capitol One Arena at the Wizards game against the Guangzhou Long Lions. #FreeHongKong #NBA #Censorship pic.twitter.com/on1O4QdBUi
— Jon Schweppe (@JonSchweppe) October 9, 2019
After the first signs were taken away, the second ones were removed as well.
"We're not allowing any political signs tonight," the guard said. "We don't do it here. I'm not about having a conference with you...I'm not going back and forth with you."
Our “Google Uyghurs” sign has been confiscated. pic.twitter.com/fX4tF4oOxR
— Jon Schweppe (@JonSchweppe) October 9, 2019
The Uyghurs are a Muslim minority population in China. The communist Chinese government has arrested over a million of them, thrown them in reeducation camps and has been harvesting their organs. NBA coaches and players have had plenty to says about politics in the United States, taking a "woke" approach to opposing conservatives and President Trump, but on this, they're silent. Those speaking out on behalf of Hong Kong and the Uyghurs are being punished. Journalists are being told to stop asking "non-basketball" questions.
Journalist gets quickly shut down when she asked James Harden, Russell Westbrook if they would refrain from speaking out on politics/social justice after China debacle... pic.twitter.com/VkXSWo0N0s
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) October 10, 2019
Luckily the fans were also wearing t-shirts, which the NBC guards did not ask them to take off.
We are currently standing tall behind the basket with our Free Hong Kong shirts on. We were told if we do another sign we will be removed. Standing tall in our tshirts
— Jon Schweppe (@JonSchweppe) October 9, 2019
The long, tyrannical arm of Beijing has made its way all the way to Washington D.C., a place that is supposed to symbolize America's most important values, principles and rights. Free speech is one of them, but as has been the pattern throughout this fiasco, the NBA is more interested in profits than standing up for the United States and oppressed populations in China. They are a disgrace.