Galaxy disciplines fans protesting team response to ICE raids
The Galaxy prohibited a fan of the Angel City Brigade Support Group after the July 4 match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The team also limited access to other fans accused of having harassed the management of the MLS team.
Bruce Martin, a member of the 12 -year -old Angel City brigade, was indefinitely prohibited in the use of a press diploma to bring a banner in the stadium not authorized by the team, according to a letter sent to Martin informing him that he cannot attend any Galaxy match in Carson or any other event in Dignity Health Sports Park.
Fans of the same group were suspended indefinitely for the harassment of Galaxy Management members, according to a person who knows the unauthorized decision to discuss it publicly.
During the home match against Vancouver, fans of the Angel City brigade, founded in 2007, entered with several protesting banners against immigration raids in South California since June 6. Some of the protest banners blamed Aeg, the owner of the galaxy, to be calm while the fans were injured by the raids.
Angel City brigade fans, traditionally located in articles 121 and 122 of the Galaxy’s Stadium, left the match at 12 minutes to protest. Other groups, such as Galaxians, the Riot Squad and Galaxy Outlawz, joined them, keeping the silence during the match.
“We have not published a declaration. We recognize the impact that recent events and actions have had on our community,” said Galaxy spokesman Jamie Álvarez. “For decades, we have honored the rich horizons, cultures and experiences of our fans and our staff. Our goal as a professional sports organization is to unite and support our community around a shared love of this sport. We focus on the priority of security, well-being and the feeling of belonging for our staff and for our fans.”
Members of the Angel City brigade demonstrate immigration raids by raising a tifo that reads “fighting ignorance, not immigrants” on their fans section at the start of the Galaxy match against Vancouver on July 4 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
(Jill Connelly / Para la Times en Español)
Dodgers, another team with a large base of Latino fans, were also criticized for not having said anything at the start of the raids and finally committed to a donation of $ 1 million to families affected by raids.
Martin, who released last season a book entitled “This is where my heart lies: through the eyes of a supporter”, telling his passion as a galaxy fan, revealed the letter on social networks in which he is opposed to the veto. Martin said that he was broken by the decision, but the fans supported him as well as his cause.
“A large percentage of the [Angel City Brigade] Canceled their season tickets, “said Martin.” There are a lot of fans around MLS who contacted me. This is one of my favorite things in the football community – how close we are. »»
The support of Ange City Brigade, Galaxians, the Riot Squad, Galaxy Outlawz and other fans groups play a major role in making the Galaxy La Galaxy in Dignity Health Sports Park a fortress, a stadium where the team has not lost the whole regular season and where it won its sixth title of MLS.
On July 12, fans also stopped singing to protest against “the silence of the Los Angeles Galaxy” in the face of immigration raids.
“We recognize that the volume of the stadium is different,” said Galaxy coach Greg Vanney after the team of the team against DC United. “As I have already said, fans have the right to take the positions they want and our work is to go out and try to win matches. We want fans to come, we want them to feel safe, we want them to have the club and the place where they want to be, and we try to do our work on the field to help do it.”
The galaxy approved the giant tifo used on July 4, which presented three Hispanic characters and a message that said: “Fight ignorance, not immigrants”.
According to the team’s spokesperson, the club had several discussions – before and after the July 4 match – during individual meetings and in small groups with leaders of Galaxy supporters to try to solve the problem. Galaxy works with community groups such as Carecen [Central American Resource Center,] Heart of Los Angeles and All Peoples Community Center, among others.
This The article appeared for the first time in Spanish Via Times in Español.
