The Washington Nationals have banned a fan who unfurled a White nationalist banner that called for “100+ million deportations” during Sunday’s home game against the Baltimore Orioles, the team confirmed.
The banner directed fellow spectators to a site about “White Replacement Theory,” a racist conspiracy that claims that White people are at risk of losing their place in American culture due to a plot that prioritizes immigration and limits birth rates among White adults.
The spectator, whom the Nationals did not identify by name, pulled out the banner while the club celebrated its regular “Salute to Service” moment. While fans waved their caps in honor of the military, a group of people displayed the banner.
A stadium usher confronted the individuals, who did not cooperate, a Nationals spokesperson told The Washington Times.
Nationals officials did not say how many people were involved in the incident, but they left the stadium during the game. The franchise has already identified and banned one of the individuals.
“The Washington Nationals vehemently condemn discriminatory and hateful rhetoric, and we strive to make our home field a safe space for our fans,” the team said in a statement.
Banners are allowed at Nationals Park, but the franchise has a series of guidelines dictating their subject matter based on its conduct policy. Signs must relate to the teams on the field, though a small exception is made for items celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and congratulations.
The Nationals also bar any signs or banners that may feature “fighting words,” which could incite disputes among spectators. The ballpark is “not a forum or place for use by the public at large for assembly and speech, for use by certain speakers or for the discussion of certain subjects,” the franchise says in its conduct policy.
The offending sign on Sunday read: “Save America Deport 100+ million.”
It is not clear how the sign made it into the stadium. Its size appeared to exceed the two-foot-by-four-foot limit imposed by the Nationals, and fans are prohibited from using bags to bring items into the ballpark.
While the Nationals did not identify anyone involved by name, conservative influencer Jake Lang claimed credit for the incident on social media.
“The Crusaders have just completed our first MASSIVE FLAG DROP at the Washington Nationals MLB game!!!!! THE CROWD WENT ABSOLUTELY NUTS!!!!” Lang wrote on social media. “(They might have killed us if we didn’t get escorted out…)”
Lang, a Republican, is currently running to represent Florida in the Senate. He was arrested for participating in the chaotic protest at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, though the charges were dismissed thanks to the sweeping pardons issued by President Trump last year.
The New York native was charged with two felonies after defacing a sculpture that criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Minnesota State Capitol earlier this year.
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