Spectator Pulled Out From Arena For Holding “Go Taiwan” Banner During Olympic Badminton Game
By
OSABUOHIEN VIVIAN ROSE
Security at the Paris Olympics ejected a fan raising a green banner that read “Go Taiwan” at a badminton match Friday, igniting anger from the island’s authorities and focusing attention on the complex rules that require Taiwan to compete as “Chinese Taipei.”
While Taiwan’s official name is the “Republic of China” (ROC), Beijing views the democratically, self-governing island as its own territory, and any recognition of Taiwan as a separate nation is resisted forcefully by China – including in the world of sport.
Taiwan competes at the Olympics as “Chinese Taipei” as the result of a political compromise – but not under its own name, flag or anthem.
The spectator was reportedly shouting while being pulled out mid-match, according to Reuters. The banner he was holding up was green, a color used by the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, as well as those who advocate for Taiwanese independence and greater autonomy.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “strongly condemns the crude and despicable means of malicious individuals ruthlessly snatching the ‘Go Taiwan’ slogan.”
“This violent act is not only uneducated, but also seriously violates the civilized spirit represented by the Olympic Games. It also violates the rule of law and infringes on freedom of speech,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that it had ordered Taiwan’s envoy to France to report the incident to law enforcement and would seek assistance from French authorities to “prevent the recurrence of such violent incidents.”
When asked about the incident at a news conference Saturday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman Mark Adams pointed to the Olympics’ ticketing terms and conditions, which state that “only flags of countries and territories participating in the Games are allowed.”
