On Sunday, just before the game between Newcastle and Arsenal, a banner flew over St James Park asking for the release of Saudi prisoners with the video of the incident viral
The message, which was put together by the SANAD Organisation, was aimed at the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which owns Newcastle. On its website, the group says it wants to protect political and social rights in Saudi Arabia and show how the government of Mohammed bin Salman breaks human rights.
Anti-Saudi banner flies over St James Park ahead of Newcastle Vs Arsenal match, video goes viral
Fans and journalists inside the stadium saw the banner while the national anthem was being played before the Premier League match. The message was shown right before the game started at 4:30. It was a warning for the owners of Newcastle.
Magpie Women Against Saudi Sportswashing @yvonneridley praised the SANAD Organisation for bringing attention to Saudi human rights abuses. Ridley said, “MWASS message is clear. You can buy our club but not our silence .. brace yourselves for more. You can not ignore the blood money that pays Eddie Howe’s wages.”
What is SANAD NGO in Saudi Arabia?
SANAD is a human rights group that fights for political and civil rights in Saudi Arabia. It also keeps an eye out for violations of human rights and reports them to human rights groups, the media, and civil and political institutions around the world.
BREAKING 🚨 Plane flies over St James' Park carrying a sign saying ‘Free All Saudi Prisoners’ pic.twitter.com/snRgeame6L
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) May 7, 2023
Its website says that it wants to protect political and civil rights in Saudi Arabia because the country’s human rights situation is getting worse and there are no fair and effective human rights institutions there. It also says that all voices calling for rights and public freedoms are being harshly silenced.
SANAD wants the world to know about the people who are in jail in Saudi Arabia and the wrongs that have been done to them because they fought for human rights, voiced their opinions, or demanded their right to freedom of speech. It also wants to share the voices and sufferings of these people with free societies that respect opinion, freedom of speech, and human rights.
Arsenal secures crucial 2-0 victory over Newcastle United
With a 2-0 win in the game, Arsenal got closer to Premier League leaders Manchester City. Martin Odegaard and an own goal from Fabian Schar were enough to give the team a big win at St. James’ Park. Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle, was unhappy with how his team played, while Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, praised the team’s determination.
Well done @SANAD_en for highlighting #Saudi human rights abuses – #MWASS message is clear. You can buy our club but not our silence .. brace yourselves for more. You can not ignore the blood money that pays Eddie Howe’s wages. pic.twitter.com/lwRfkMQm0R
— Magpie Women Against Saudi Sportswashing (@yvonneridley) May 7, 2023
“They showed what it takes to come here, in this environment, against a great team, what it takes to win. The desire to keep digging, keep believing, with a reward which is so big. We had to do it today and we did everything we had to do to win the game,” said Arteta.
The Public Investment Fund owns Newcastle, which still had four games to play and needed to win three of them. But their hopes of staying in the league were hurt badly by the loss to Arsenal.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe reflects on loss to Arsenal
Howe said, “Fine margins for us and we just came out on the wrong side of them. We missed some big chances in the game and it just wasn’t quite there for us. I am sure I will look back at some moments and rue some moments we didn’t get quite right.”
In its message, SANAD called attention to the fact that human rights campaigners and journalists are still being locked up in Saudi Arabia. The group has spoken out against the Saudi government and is trying to get more people to know about what is going on there.
Some people have said that the Premier League made a mistake by letting the Public Investment Fund buy Newcastle United. They say that this is an example of “sportswashing,” which is when sports events or teams are used to distract from bad news or improve a country’s reputation.
Since it was first revealed in 2019, the takeover of Newcastle has been controversial. Many people have asked if it’s right for a government that has been accused of abusing human rights to own a Premier League team. SANAD’s message shows that there are still worries about who owns Newcastle United and that there needs to be more openness and responsibility in the club.
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