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Blame Canada
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Turns out the Dodgers' "no signs or banners" policy applies to the Canadian flag as well.
According the Canadian sports website TheStar.com, security tried to confiscate the Canadian flag belonging to a Blue Jays fan because they felt it could cause fans to be aggressive toward each other. Needless to say, the Canadians in the section were furious, and several security guards and LAPD officers were called to the scene.
Well Canada, don't you worry. They weren't singling you out at all. We have had many an experience with confiscated banners.
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At 2:13.57pm, this kid pulled out his very benign Go Dodgers sign and began waving it. I told him that he should be careful because security will come confiscate the sign. His dad sort of laughed, after all, who could be so heartless as to take a little handmade sign away from a kid sitting in the back row? He's not blocking anyone's view, he's not causing any trouble, and he's maybe 5 years old!
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We got out the watches. AT 2:14.51pm, a mere 54 seconds later, guess who showed up and took the sign away?
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We have tried to get around this rule in a number of ways. In 2004 after Paul LoDuca was traded to the Marlins and returned for his first game back at Dodger Stadium, we tried making pillow cases that said "We miss you Paulie." Those were taken.
Then we decided that because there is no ban on clothing we could make wearable signs, so we went to Michael's and spent $20 and made these shirts for the upcoming Dodgers-Giants game.
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We were allowed to wear them in 2003, all the way up to 2005. However I showed up in my Barry Sucks shirt in April 2006, and security told me I was not allowed to enter the stadium in this t-shirt. They said they didn't want to "upset Mr. Bonds," and that anti-Giants t-shirts were permitted, but anti-Barry t-shirts were not. I went through several arguments, first off that there is no rule on what one's clothing has to be and secondly that it is in support of the home team and therefore isn't (usually) considered to be something which instigates a fight, and lastly I was sitting up in the reserve level and I felt pretty sure that "Mr. Bonds" would not catch a glimpse of my shirt so his feelings would not be hurt. No, he said. You may not enter the stadium in that t-shirt. Fortunately I had a sweatshirt in my bag to put over it. I felt like a 10th grader who showed up to school in a Corona shirt.
So there you have it, Canada. It's not just you. There are no first amendment rights in or around Dodger Stadium, and it's something you are forced to accept if you love baseball. However no one can ban you from writing about it on LAist, so Canada, this is for you.
All photos taken by Malingering, except for the one taken of Malingering, which was taken by a drunk fan in the left field bleachers (back when they still sold beer) and we are unable to credit this fan for the photo because it was 4 years ago and also we have no clue who he was. If you're out there, thanks dude.
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