Angel City FC responded to immigration raids and the resulting protests in Los Angeles during Saturday night’s home match against North Carolina. The NWSL club printed 10,000 t-shirts which read “Immigrant City Football Club” on the front, and “Los Angeles is for everyone / Los Ángeles es para todos” on the back.
The shirts were distributed to supporters and fans entering BMO Stadium. Some ACFC players wore the shirts during player arrivals, and new head coach Alexander Straus also sported the shirt along with the rest of the club’s technical staff and players on the bench.
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Angel City distributed cards with a new statement following their initial statement released on June 7. The cards read in part, “The fabric of this city is made of immigrants. Football does not exist without immigrants. This club does not exist without immigrants.” Recording artist and founding investor Becky G read that message from the field before player walk-outs.
Angel City worked with supporters groups in the lead up to Saturday’s match on the messaging and larger action.
Earlier this week, the NWSL Players Association released a statement in conjunction with the WNBA Players Association regarding the ongoing immigration raids.
“We stand with all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity, no matter where they come from or where they hope to go,” the statement read. “Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We know not every situation is simple. But offering compassion should never be up for debate.”
The league itself has not issued a statement of any kind addressing the immigration raids or in support of immigrants. Some individual clubs, including Angel City and Chicago Stars FC, have released brief statements pointing to relevant resources.
Angel City’s coordinated action on Saturday night is an elevated response following the events of the past week. Last weekend at BMO Stadium, Los Angeles FC supporters remained silent through the MLS club’s 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City. They also took up six rows of seats in the supporters’ end of the stadium for a large banner reading: “Abolish ICE.”
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That banner, and others, technically violated both the MLS Code of Conduct and stadium policies, but it appears no action was taken. Angel City, as a tenant of BMO Stadium, may not have the same ability to prevent stadium staff from removing banners or other signage that may violate stadium policies or NWSL’s Code of Conduct.
BMO Stadium rules reference MLS’s guidelines, rather than the NWSL’s. The list of prohibited items per stadium policies include “flags, banners or signs which in any way reference current conflicts or countries involved therein (in accordance with MLS Guidelines)” as well as “flags, banners, signs, clothing or other accessories or adornments that reference any political party, candidate (current or former), or measure in any Federal, State, or Local election.”
Angel City’s regular-season match is happening on the same night as a Concacaf Gold Cup match between Mexico and the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium, as well as the opening match of FIFA’s men’s Club World Cup in Miami. Earlier this week, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol removed a social media post referencing its presence at the Club World Cup games after FIFA expressed concern.
BMO Stadium is currently outside of the area of Los Angeles under a nighttime curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Angel City, NWSL, women’s sports
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