Four people were removed from Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, for hanging a large banner that read ’Racism is as American as Baseball’.
The black-and-white sign was dropped down over the middle section of the Green Monster, the stadium’s famous high left-field wall, during the fourth inning of the game against Oakland.
In a statement to the Washington Post, the individuals who unfurled the banner said they were “a group of white anti-racist protestors.”
“We want to remind everyone that just as baseball is fundamental to American culture and history, so too is racism,” the group added.
Tweets posted on Twitter account @AntifaBoston, including a video, claimed that the group had displayed the banner. An additional statement criticised the history of the Red Sox, who were the last team to integrate black players following the end of racial segregation in Major League Baseball.
“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,” Red Sox spokesperson Zineb Curran said.
“The individuals involved were escorted out of Fenway Park.”
The incident comes after Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones said he was subjected to racial slurs during a game in May. Sam Kennedy, the Red Sox president, apologised to Jones after he told USA Today he was “called the n-word a handful of times” by supporters.
The Red Sox apologized to Jones.