Once again,???.?????.?????.???????? sports and politics collided after activists hung a giant anti-racism banner from the stands during a Boston Red Sox game.
With ESPN host Jemele Hill recently calling Donald Trump a "white supremacist” on Twitter – not to mention the controversy surrounding NFL player Colin Kaepernick -- it's certainly not the first time the two have become intertwined this year.
According to The Boston Globe, during the fourth inning of Wednesday night's game between the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics, five fans lowered the black banner — which read in white letters: "Racism is as American as baseball" — over Fenway Park's legendary Green Monster.
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The publication reported that the sign remained visible for around two minutes before stadium security removed it from the park, along with two men and two women involved.
Following the game, the Red Sox released the following statement reminding fans that no signs of any kind are allowed on the premises:
"During the fourth inning of tonight’s game, four fans unfurled a banner over the left field wall in violation of the club’s policy prohibiting signs of any kind to be hung or affixed to the ballpark. The individuals involved were escorted out of Fenway Park."
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While no arrests were reportedly made in the incident, one of the demonstrators spoke with CSN New England's Evan Drellich under the promise of anonymity.
Explaining that five people were involved in the incident, the demonstrator said, "People booed us as we walked out, asking us to find something better to do."
Though many on social media immediately condemned the banner, some seeing it as promoting racism, others felt it sparked an important conversation.
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The group behind the display said the Black Lives Matter movement was one of their inspirations, and that "The banner came in response to the racist comments at the beginning of the season at Fenway" when Baltimore Orioles' player Adam Jones was racially tauntedby members of the crowd.
"But overall, we saw, we see Boston continually priding itself as a kind of liberal, not racist city, and are reminded also constantly that it’s actually an extremely segregated city," the demonstrator told CSNNE."It has been for a long time, and that no white people can avoid the history of racism, essentially. So we did this banner as a gesture towards that, to have a conversation about that.”
A member involved in the banner dropping then released the following statement to CSNNE on behalf of the group:
"We want to remind everyone that just as baseball is fundamental to American culture and history, so too is racism. White people need to wake up to this reality before white supremacy can truly be dismantled. We urge anyone who is interested in learning more or taking action to contact their local racial justice organization."
Though Boston Antifa claimed responsibility for the act on Twitter, the member who spoke with CSNNEclaimed that was "ridiculous."
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"The five of us are in no way associated with Antifa nor did Antifa Boston have anything to do with the action," the demonstrator explained.
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