OUT OF BOUNDS

Australian Open Organizers Ban ‘Where’s Peng Shuai’ T-Shirts

The tennis association said they are concerned about the Chinese tennis player’s safety but don’t think the T-shirts are necessary.

Organizers of the Australian Open called police to break up a protest after several people gathered at Melbourne Park wearing t-shirts and carrying banners that asked: “Where is Peng Shuai?” The Chinese tennis player disappeared for several weeks in November after publicly accusing a top Chinese government official of sexual harassment. Her well-being has been questioned by several international tennis players and organizations, which believe she is being censored. Tennis Australia said Peng’s safety is a “primary concern” that the protests, which were led by Hong Kong pro-democracy supporters, were not necessary because they were political in nature. Video on Twitter showing police asking people to remove their T-shirts has gone viral in Australia.