ESC protest of NJSEA possible

Back story as to reasons why here

Nothing set in stone yet, but possible forms of protest we are thinking about here

Again, this is not set in stone yet, but it is certainly a possibility being kicked around by many members. Feel free to chime in.

Basically, when you attack a man on crutches, threaten to throw out a photographer with credentials, and confiscate balloons, you are a pathetic NJSEA security guard. The hope is to draw attention to the situation, and get public pressure on the FO and security goons sooner rather than later.

From what I've seen on the board (first 2 pages and the last one), the best idea would be to boycott the section for the first 15 minutes before marching in as a group & as loud as possible. During the protest, set a yellow banner in 101 that says "NJSEA" on it in black. Go ahead and use the banner for every goal celebration, too.

I think that we face enough problems without NJSEA security harassing our hardcore fans. I'm with RagingBullNation, not ESC, but I completely emphasize with what ESC's members are facing. It's hard enough to generate gameday atmosphere without the yellow shirts harassing hardcore fans. Look at other teams' supporters clubs -- Our fans' behavior doesn't even match a fraction of what other supporters clubs do at matches and we are treated like criminals at matches. It's ridiculous.

NJSEA hates soccer -- they've made that clear for many years. However, they can at least lay off fans supporting the home team who are not hurting anybody.

Marching in 15 minutes late will disrupt the game, and call undue attention to ESC -- as though WE were the important part of the game, not the team.

I agree with the 15 minutes of silence from a packed 101, along with a banner.
I think this will be most effective. Otherwise, the rest of the stadium will just think we partied too long at our tailgate, and miss the point of the protest.

That was my thinking too. Let the FO see how a stadium with zilch atmosphere feels. Maybe then they wont sell us out.

ok since i cant sign up for the metrofanatic boards for some reason, i'll chuck my 2 cents here...

1. March in early making no noise

2. Set up those 2 vertical banners in a giant X across the lower portion of section 101

3. Set up all of the other banners upside-down

4. Sit in Section 140 or 102 for 15 minutes in complete silence

5. At the 14 minute mark maybe start a slow clap that will spread around the stadium and force everyone to rise

6. Then at the 15 minute mark sing "Here's your famous ESC" for the next minute as you walk into 101...remove the 2 vertical banners...and turn back around all of the other banners

6. Improvise from there

THAT will get the attention of the crowd...
-walking in late WONT
-wearing yellow shirts WONT (maybe)
-hopefully the TFC fans coming can participate and help
-the FO will notice

They have a combined IQ of 28. I doubt they know how to do anything but admire themselves.

I would not do a silent protest at all. B/C that is exactly what they want. I would be louder than ever for the TFC game. Make a couple of banners that will get the message across.

i really liked the idea of something like 40 minutes of pure silence in 101 and then start with wipeout, and do our thing rest of 1st and 2nd half. plus banners....but i doubt we could ever get everyone to consent to that.

After thinking about it, I would rather it be silence for the entire match or not at all. What is 15 minutes going to demonstrate? That we can have our silent tantrum but everything will be fine if you can just wait us out? I think it would be better just to stay quiet for the whole 90.

Just throwing out an idea: I think I'll take a page from soccerfreak, and say instead of standing in 101, go to 102 or 140 and just make noise from there. Now the guards have two sections to stress over instead of one.

whatever we decide on, i'm in 100%. something, anything, has to be done.

A like Roehl's idea. No Standing for the entire match. Even if RBNY does score a goal, don't celebrate it. Just sit down in the chairs and watch the match. Have a yellow Banner in black writing in the middle of the section to protest the Dumb Gorillias that treat the section like crap.

I don't think everyone is understanding the point of the protest...or maybe I'm not understanding. I thought the point was to keep silent aznd show some anti-security banners in order to protest the a**hole security NJSEA and how they've been treating us. Show the rest of the stadium that without us singing jumping standing going nuts that the atmosphere sucks. Show the team that without us it just ain't the same and they lose motivation on the field. Then, through doing this, hopefully the team/RB will have talks with NJSEA security about lightening up on us during the games and letting us do more of our own thing without intervening constantly. I thought this was the point of the protest, no?

I just need to clarify: I'm not for or against any protest - I think the backlash caused by the ejections and police state last Thursday were magnified by the demoralizing loss to Chivas, of all teams.

But if there's a protest, let's at least do one that matters and doesn't look like a dumb old hissy fit. Fifteen minutes isn't going to mean much if it's followed by raucous fanfare after a goal in the second half.

Nothing you do is going to make a difference. Once you're at the game, they already have your money. The FO is looking at attendance figures and game results, not how rowdy the crowd was.

This is the best idea yet. Silence for the full 90 with banners. No celebrations no drums no Wipeout, then have a silent march out. Aside for abandoning the section entirely, this seems like it would be the most effective to get the Front Office to notice. I'm sure most of the game day staff doesn't get in their "seats" until after the 20th minute on any given gameday.

The silence will be awkward and people will start asking questions and those questions will continue until the end of the game.

If we suddenly erupt in the 20th minute or so, they might soon forget that we were silent at all.

All should wear yellow shirts with the idiots # on the shirt with a slash going thru the numbers.....

If nothing is done, the ESC will dwindle in numbers as more fans are "banned for life" and others get fed up and decide to leave until Harrison opens.

Is it that easy to forget how small Section 101 has been in the past few years leading up to this season?

How many fans have we already lost in the last 2 games?

We lost fans at the DC game?

Just to be exact the one douche bag in yellow is #1041 spit on him when you have the chance.

The ESC will not dwindle in numbers. As long as the group is as rowdy and loud and energetic as ever, more and more people will want to be part of that. Sitting silently at the game will be worse than anything NJSEA could do to ESC, because people who are not part of the hard-core inner-circle will show up expecting a rollicking good time, and be disappointed and not want to come back to games.

The bottom line is that the FO probably doesn't care if ESC makes lots of noise or if they don't. You'll be quiet for one game and then what happens at the next game? You show up again. You're not going to stop supporting the club.

Now, I'm not saying do nothing. But there are other options. Red Bull has shown that they appreciate the supporters groups, and they want to grow that loyal fan base. If you want to communicate your frustrations with them, seriously, start a letter-writing campaign. Bury the front office in letters and emails from season ticket holders, saying that they will not buy season tickets again if this matter is not attended to and the situation does not improve.

Now that is the best idea I've read or heard about this whole thing yet. It seems to me there are so many ways for whatever kind of in-game 'protest' option to be misunderstood by the casual fan there for their one game a year, or the regular fan who doesn't read the boards (there are tons of them), or the front office (who was it who told the tale of the Dunivant player card at a recent game, and the FO representatives who were clueless that he had been traded away weeks before?), or the TV coverage, etc. etc., and not least of all by the yellow shirts, who are prone to read into every littlest thing a massive affront to their authority.

Outside of having a banner clearly stipulating that the yellow shirts are causing problems and how, I don't think most people in the stadium will understand the point of whatever is done as well as we here at the boards would. Say there is a protest of silence: I'm not even so sure it's that the FO would not care as much as it is they are oblivious and wouldn't notice.

Getting information out to the regular fans and trying to drum up a letter writing campaign to the front office is a great idea. I'm sure there are plenty of fans who don't want to be in 101 who would support such a thing and join in if they knew what it was all about and why it was important, because all of us around the rest of the stadium greatly value the energy and atmosphere 101 creates.

Anyway, that's my 2¢.

WE could BOO when they say RedBull

We could boo things like that and see how they feel

Boo Claudio,and BA the most

Isn't that what you want?

Sitting in silence won't have the same effect because by doing that, 101 will just become another part of the crowd. A larger effect is made by a banner in place of the group. Even better, have one person in an NJSEA shirt in place of the group.

Walking in as a group 15 minutes late doesn't necessarily mean missing the match. Members can watch the match from other parts of the stadium as long as they stay out of 101. Around 15 minutes, gather up and march into 101 in full voice.

I agree with the letter writing idea. The in-game protest will get to the players & fans, while the letters get to the FO. What ever you do, make it big and make it noticeable.