Dylan Bettencourt
Demonstrators wearing “Where is Peng Shuai?” T-shirts at Wimbledon have claimed they were abused by security staff.
The group of men said their aim was to raise awareness for the Chinese player, Peng Shuai, who is a former doubles number one.
Shuai disappeared from the public eye after accusing a top politician of pressuring her into sex.
The 36-year-old posted the accusations on a Chinese social media platform before the post was swiftly deleted.
Shuai has made public appearances since the scandal but concerns regarding her safety remain.
Demonstrator Will Hoyles said they were not attempting to cause any trouble.
“We came here trying to raise some awareness but Wimbledon have managed to make it worse for themselves by harassing us,” he said.
He said officials asked a lot of questions about what we were going to do and why they were there.
“We told them we were wandering around and had spoken to a few people and that’s when they seemed to get suspicious,” he said.
Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith said that England was not like China.
“Dear Wimbledon, unlike Xi’s China, we value free speech in this country. People wishing to raise their voices in support of WhereIsPengShuai should be allowed to do so,” he wrote on Twitter.
A spokesperson for the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, organisers of the Grand Slam, said the demonstrators were approached by staff but they are now enjoying their day with them.
“They continue to wear their T-shirts,” said a spokesperson.
“Like much of the tennis community and people around the world, we remain very concerned for Peng Shuai and we continue to support the WTA’s efforts.”
Image source: @TheIndependent
