Article author:
Associated Press
Chris Lehourites
Wimbledon, England (AP) — "Where Peng Shuai? The T-shirt was stopped by security guards in Wimbledon on Monday and searched for a bag.
Penn is a retired professional tennis player from China who accused former Chinese ruling Communist officials of sexual assault last year. Since then, she has rarely appeared publicly.
A similar episode happened to someone wearing a T-shirt that supports Peng at this year's Australian Open. The Melbourne spectators were removed from the premises, but the tournament later overturned the decision and allowed people to dress unless they gathered in large groups or caused problems for other spectators.
Free Tibetan organization Jason Reese said he and his three colleagues wore white T-shirts after entering the grounds of the All England Club on Monday.
"When I came in, I was worried that I couldn't put it in, so I didn't put it on. When I was wearing it and walking around, I got a selfie. Some people wanted it, and we were taking pictures with them, "said Reese, an Englishman.
Shortly after, the guards arrived as the four men were walking under the big screen at the foot of Henman Hill, Reese said.
"(They) are you going to protest directly? Are you planning to confuse things?" Reese said. "Then they asked," Oh, can you come here so we can find your bag? "
"So they started looking into our bags. I think they were looking for a flag. They were looking for something that might be used in other forms of protest.
The man was allowed to stay in the grand slam of the lawn coat and keep wearing his shirt, but stay away from other spectators to talk about the pen. Asked, Reese said.
"It's a bit weird. Why aren't you allowed to talk to people?" Said Reese, who is responsible for the income and engagement of Free Tibet.
The Wimbledon organizer said activists are welcome to stay in the field.
All England Club CEO Sally Bolton said on the first day of the tournament, spectators in shirts mentioning Peng could attend.
"We have ground entry rules, and those ground entry rules really focus on the quiet enjoyment of everyone's tennis," Bolton said. "So it's not about what people are wearing. It's about people's behavior."
Peng accused former Communist Party executive Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault last year. After that, he disappeared from public. Her accusations were quickly removed from the Internet, and discussions about them remain severely censored.
Penn won two Grand Slam Women's Doubles titles in her 2013 career, including Wimbledon.
Due to the circumstances surrounding the pen, the Women's Professional Tennis Tour has canceled the tournament in China.
Last year, Reese was arrested in Greece for interfering with the Olympic torch ritual. The flames headed for China prior to this year's Beijing Olympics.
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More AP Wimbledon Coverage:https://apnews.com/hub/wimbledonとhttps://apnews.com/hub/tennisとhttps://twitter.com/AP–Sports
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