Tasmanian Football Body Bans Palestinian Team Over Slogan

A Palestinian futsal team in Tasmania, Australia, was banned from playing in their jerseys bearing the slogan "From the river to the sea, it was and always will be." The Football Federation of Tasmania ruled that the slogan is a political message, which is prohibited by game regulations. The team's general manager, Tony Pinnegar, stated that while the team is allowed to wear jerseys of the Palestinian national team, the specific slogan is not permitted.

The team, whose jerseys were designed by player Fares Shaheen, received a 3-0 technical loss on October 11 for refusing to remove the shirts. In solidarity, two other teams in the six-team league wore the same jerseys on Sunday. They were also prevented from playing, and after federation representatives left the field, the players held a friendly match in the shirts.

Shaheen, whose family lives in Gaza, claimed the slogan is a humanitarian message and cultural expression, intended to highlight the connection between Palestinians and Tasmania's Indigenous Palawa people. He asserted that the team had played several games with the shirts without issue until a complaint led to a demand to cover the text. Pinnegar disputed this, stating it was the third week the team had attempted to wear the shirts and that they had already been notified of the prohibition.

Hugh Nicholson, who participated in the protest, expressed support, calling the team's exclusion unfair. Pinnegar acknowledged he was not deeply familiar with the region's politics but reiterated that the slogan is considered political by the federation, and any team displaying a political message on their jerseys would not be allowed to play. The federation also clarified that even partial slogans would be disallowed.