Make room for protests
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hose in America who pass Chinese consulates or the Chinese embassy are used to seeing dignified protests against the totalitarian nation. The protesters often are a diverse group. They include members of the Falun Gong, a spiritual meditation movement outlawed in China, Buddhists from China-ruled Tibet, supporters of Taiwan, and advocates for the students massacred at Tiananmen Square in 1989.
The reasons these protests are ubiquitous in America is simple: We are a free nation. If these protesters attempted this in China, they would be arrested. The possibility of state-sponsored torture and murder might follow the arrests. The Falun Gong movement was brutally suppressed in 1999. Its members are thrown into concentration camps.
Who can forget the tremendous courage of the lone man stopping a tank on Tiananmen Square? He, and many others, were later brutally murdered. Tibetans who want independence for their homeland are thrown in jail in China if they voice that wish.
Last week Real Salt Lake played an exhibition game against a Chinese national soccer team at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Perhaps more interesting than the game -- called, ironically, a "friendly" -- was the site of several demonstrators being forcibly escorted out of the stadium for waving a flag of Tibet.
Apparently the Chinese team was offended by this demonstration of free speech, and was prepared to quit the game unless the demonstrators were ejected.
A Real spokesman defended the decision, saying members of the China team were guests, and Real needed to be diplomatic. The spokesman also claimed the demonstrators cared more about harassing the Chinese team than Tibet.
Although Real provided no evidence for that charge, perhaps the team is right. Who knows? However, the sight of peaceful political demonstrators being forcibly ejected from a public event because representatives of a totalitarian nation were offended did leave a bad taste in our mouths. And it also made Real Salt Lake and Rice-Eccles Stadium look bad.
We understand how important it is to be polite -- and diplomatic. And there is value to our community when other countries send their athletes to test our skills in Utah.
We suggest the next time Real Salt Lake -- or any other organization -- invites representatives of a totalitarian nation for an event, an area be set aside for protests. For Real Salt Lake, perhaps it should be just outside the stadium. That way, the protests can go on ... as well as the "friendly."
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