#341 ·
😉
Guidelines for the Rose Bowl
This Saturday, we’re heading down to the Rose Bowl, where that whole "Brotherhood Code" is in full effect. It’s all designed for one thing: thinning out the crowds in the stands and essentially silencing—if not completely extinguishing—anyone brave enough to stand up against the football mafia. I suppose if we want our fan movement to actually survive, proper preparation before entering the lion's den is absolutely essential.
Lately, one of the most frequent reasons people end up being detained at the Rose Bowl involves attempting to enter the stadium while intoxicated—specifically, showing up with a blood alcohol content over 0.50—or simply wandering into seating sections without a valid ticket. I suppose we won't go through an exhaustive list of every single minor infraction that could land you in trouble, but we felt it was probably wise to offer some guidance on how to conduct yourself should you find yourself being detained by security.
It is quite important to understand that, according to our legal procedures, once the police take someone into custody, they are required to either bring that individual before a magistrate to face a misdemeanor charge or release them within a twelve-hour window. I suppose people often misunderstand what actually constitutes the moment of arrest; it isn't merely when you are being pulled aside or when you find yourself sitting in a holding cell at the station. Rather, the clock officially starts ticking at the exact moment the officers explicitly inform you that you are under arrest and state the specific reasons or charges for which you are being detained. Furthermore, if a person happens to be under the influence of alcohol at the time, I believe the law dictates that these mandatory timelines only begin to run once the individual has actually sobered up.
If you want to avoid unnecessary drama within your family, I would suggest taking advantage of the option that allows the police to notify a family member in the event of an arrest; doing so might help keep those legal timelines somewhat more manageable. If you find yourself in that situation, your companions should reach out to the secretary of the Black Knights, provide your full name, and explain the reason for the detainment. The Black Knights have actually organized some legal assistance for this Saturday, so we will be doing everything in our power to support those who have been taken into custody.
In any case, I suppose you will all be facing the Referee this Sunday to answer for those infractions.
If I may offer a bit of unsolicited advice regarding your appearance before the local magistrate, I would suggest that you might want to be very careful about waiving any right to appeal the initial ruling. It might be wise to hold onto that option, just in case.
It seems to me that the police, acting essentially as both prosecutor and judge, will typically approach you with an offer to simply plead guilty to the violation you're being charged with. They'll suggest that if you waive your right to appeal, they might let you off with a minimal fine—though, I suppose, one must remember that those costs usually include... $100 I suppose, if you look at the situation objectively, since you’ve already been taken into custody, you are technically presented with the option to pay off two-thirds of the fine within a certain timeframe once the ruling becomes final. However, I guess the catch—and it seems like a rather significant one—is that they simultaneously impose a ban preventing you from attending any soccer matches for an entire year.
I suppose it feels like the police, working hand-in-hand with the Referee, have one primary objective here: to clear us out from the stands entirely. If you decide to waive your right to appeal, I fear there really isn't much anyone can do to help at that point. Every single fan who is forced away from the stadium represents one less voice contributing to our collective struggle.
Generally speaking, aside from offering you some sort of nominal fine, they tend to issue a warning—though I suppose one could interpret that "warning" as either helpful advice or a veiled threat, depending on how you look at it. They essentially suggest that if you refuse to admit to the violation and waive your right to an appeal, the police will likely recommend, and the Court will probably grant, your detention until the misdemeanor proceedings are finalized. In layman's terms, it’s basically pretrial detention. It is my understanding that they do indeed possess that legal authority under the current statutes.
I suppose, if I am understanding the legal nuances correctly, being held during a misdemeanor proceeding shouldn't exceed fifteen days before a verdict is handed down—and that assumes you have already served one day of that period. Once that's done, there isn't much more to it, I guess.
There are three potential ways the Referee could rule here: they might release the individuals with a fine for a misdemeanor, issue a one-year ban from attending games, or hand down a fifteen-day jail sentence. Personally, I can't help but feel that if we start seeing people thrown in jail for fifteen days for any violation under the Anti-Riot Law—things like alcohol issues or ticket discrepancies—it would set a rather alarming precedent, if you will.
In any case, I would strongly suggest that you don't go giving up your right to appeal. If you find yourself facing a verdict where you've been found guilty and handed a restraining order, filing an appeal actually serves to delay the enforcement of that ruling. It might be worth considering, I suppose.
So, if I’m reading this correctly, it means you can still show up to the match while the ruling is being appealed. Your voice will still be heard from the stands. If that dictator over at the Rose Bowl is allowed to appeal his ban and go back to attending games like everything is normal, then I suppose we should have that same right, too.
There are a few other points that I think it might be worth keeping in mind:
I suppose I should clarify that chanting "The Federation are f***ing ruining football" doesn't actually violate the Anti-Riot Law regarding sports competitions. Given the nature of those specific chants, I simply wouldn't be able to issue a ban for them.
We live in a nation where laws are supposed to be passed by the U.S. Congress, not by some soccer federation or officials from FIFA and UEFA. I recall a time when those very same individuals tried to convince us that certain "vouchers" were actually legal mandates we all had to follow. If you remember what we told you back then, you probably realize who was actually right and how that whole situation played out.
Now, they are attempting to peddle yet another narrative that simply doesn't hold up under the scrutiny of the Anti-Riot Law regarding sporting events. It feels like more of the same deception.
The reality is that we are dealing with the people currently running American soccer—people who seem to harbor a deep-seated resentment toward our fans, our City, and our entire region. It seems their animosity towards us is so intense that they would go as far as trying to prevent children from even playing the game, just because those kids happen to wear a Hajduk jersey.
They aren't particularly concerned with ethics when it comes to achieving their goals. Because of this, I would suggest that we don't fall for any potential police provocations; please try to remain restrained and avoid reacting. We shouldn't give these bad actors any excuse to justify their actions through our own behavior.
Let them hear the voice from the South this Saturday!
"Hajduk stands above all, Hajduk lives forever, supporting the great Hajduk is my mission, and no one will ever blackmail Hajduk!"
BE HAJDUK!
A NEW BATTLE LIES AHEAD!
