The Impact Against Free Speech. Text written by the UM02: 05-06-2008 We could talk about the match, about this wall we hit once more, about this ball that wouldn’t go in the net, but instead of talking about that, we’ll talk about the game that went on in the stands(which was, by all means, much more memorable than what happened on the field). So we’ll talk about what went on in the stands. But this time, we won’t talk about our loud singing, our tifo, a festive atmosphere or something else. No. We aren’t talking about that because that didn’t happen this time. Instead, we’ll talk about the ridiculous things happening at Stade Saputo(Although they were pretty ridiculous in their own right). We were now at the third match where we weren’t allowed to hang banners, due to some mysterious and unknown rule. We were in the dark about this, so we decided that until we heard an explanation, we would follow what we were told: “You aren’t allowed to hang anything, but it’s ok if you hold it up yourself.” Just before the players came on the field, while our owner Joey Saputo was handing out scholarships, we hung a banner up saying: “Thank you for the Stadium. Now we want a coach.” We had that up for a good 5 minutes, until one of the massive gorillas that work under the guise of security guards came up and asked us to take it down, with force and threats of expulsion from the stadium(Business as usual). After we asked what exactly the problem was, he said that we were breaking the rules. The rules, always the rules, the rules that they either don’t tell us in their entirety or not at all. The rules that change every week, like the clouds overhead or the temperature of the overpriced panini sausage they pass off as food. Seasoned with threats, apparently. Anyways. What is this damned rule anyways? After looking back at all that’s happened throughout the season, our error surely was placing a handful of banners on the revered rail. The legend goes that beneath its glorious blue paint it is solid gold. We’ll look into that. Well, if we can’t hang banners on it(According to the rule), we hold them up ourselves, in the front row. That would work, surely. We waited 'til the second half to try it out. So we were in the 70th minute, and in the process of unfurling a banner that read: “Nique De Santis”(Our coach’s name is Nick, and Nique in French means “fu**"). Although the banner rung true, we did not even get to completely unfurl it before around a dozen of the gorillas came into our section. The test was over, it did not matter what the content of the banner was, we’re simply not allowed to have banners. We could have a banner saying “Allez L’Impact” and we would have the same result. Repression, it’s that simple, without thinking, without asking questions. Also, while they came into the section, tearing the banner without warning, the situation escalated. We wanted an explanation, they didn’t give us one, a scuffle followed, despite the efforts to calm things down. The path of brute force was chosen yet again. They took out their telescoping batons, put on their leather gloves, there was pushing and shoving, stomping and destruction of some of our property. There were some expulsions as well. What would pseudo police do without a pseudo arrest? Abuse of power, plain and simple. The mysterious rule of not being able to hang anything became clear. It isn’t the banners, it’s us. It’s becoming more and more clear that the Impact heads don’t know where to go from here with the pressure of a debacle of a start to the season, with a terrible coach who will be around ad vitam aeternam, in a stadium that has yet to see the home team score a goal… If you are a supporter of the Impact, you only have the right to sit in line neatly in the “New Quebec soccer temple” and applaud when Tac-Tik(our godforsaken mascot) tells you to. Whatever you do, don’t pay attention to the field or what’s around it, it’s expected that you shut your mouth, except to yell out “Lets go, Impact!” once in a while. Just don’t be too loud, ok? No, obviously it doesn’t work like that. They can threaten, expulse, or hit us as much as they want but we will always have an opinion and we will always express it on our “fu**ing website” or in our banners. Spread the word.
My sympathies... it looks like you are being unreasonably oppressed, although having banners like “N*que De Santis” is kind of like asking for trouble IMO.
Well thought out, and well spoken. Seems baffling, but perhaps its like when you get new shoes and you don't want to walk on the grass with them, you don't want to walk on gravel with them and you want to keep those soles white until SHIT! you step in a backed up storm drain puddle. Keep it clean, or maybe they just have MLS execs checking out the specs of le stade nouveau and want a match to run like dinner when your parents have houseguests. How come you can't score at Saputo, but vs. Vancouver, no problem. Then again we have 13 for and 12 against and were almost the top of the table.
It's not just happening in Montreal. We've come close to mixing it up a few times in Denver as well. I hate rent-a-cops.