Representatives from Major League Soccer will meet with the Independent Supporters Council and supporters groups’ for the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders on Sept. 19 to discuss the MLS Fan Code of Conduct.

The Independent Supporters Council, a group that was founded to promote supporters’ culture and advocate for fair treatment of supporters, announced on Twitter Wednesday that the meeting would be taking place.

MLS has faced backlash from fans for changing the Fan Code of Conduct this season to ban political signage and displays at games. Among the specific signage that is barred by the league’s new fan code of conduct is the “Iron Front” symbol, an emblem with three arrows pointing downward which was first used by an anti-Nazi paramilitary organization in Germany in the 1930s. Fans say that the Iron Front symbol is not political because it represents an opposition to fascism and oppression, which are issues of human rights. MLS is concerned that the symbol has been adopted by the antifa movement, a loose affiliation of activists whose protests against fascism and racism have sometimes turned violent.

Fans are still allowed to wear Iron Front imagery on their clothing, but are not allowed to wave flags with the symbol, the Timbers organization said in a statement in August. However, this rule has been enforced differently at different stadiums throughout MLS. Wonderwall, the parent organization for Minnesota United’s supporters’ groups, said in a statement Tuesday that Minnesota United had banned fans from donning clothing and patches with Iron Front imagery.

The Timbers Army, the supporters’ group for the Timbers, has led the way among fans within MLS in pushing back against the league’s policy. The Timbers Army, along with the Emerald City Supporters and Gorilla FC, two supporters’ groups for the Seattle Sounders, has called upon MLS to rescind its ban on the Iron Front flag, remove the word “political" from its fan code of conduct as "it is inherently arbitrary” and craft language in the code of conduct that “reflects and supports radical inclusion and anti-discrimination.”

MLS has not changed its policy at this point.

On August 23, the Timbers Army, along with the Emerald City Supporters and Gorilla FC, protested MLS’s ban on the Iron Front symbol and political signage by remaining silent for the first 33 minutes of a nationally televised rivalry game between the Timbers and Sounders at Providence Park. On August 31, some members of the Timbers Army then held up Iron Front flags during a game between the Timbers and Real Salt Lake. The fans were issued a three-game ban for flying the banners. Abram Goldman-Armstrong, the owner of Cider Riot, was one of the fans that was banned.

In a statement on their website, the Independent Supporters Council said that “human rights are not political” and that it stands with fans that have pushed for MLS to allow “anti-fascist imagery into soccer stadiums.” The Independent Supporters Council also listed four changes that it would call upon MLS to make during the upcoming meeting. Here are the four points, as provided by the Independent Supporters Council:

In alignment with the “Soccer For All” campaign, it is okay to denounce white supremacy in and outside of stadiums to create a welcoming environment for all fans of the sport. Re-write the Code of Conduct with experts in human rights to define the term “political” as it pertains to items brought into the stadiums. Create consistency across the table for what is and is not allowed inside of stadiums as well as consequences given for items brought in. Create an official appeals system for supporters in which true documentation is given with proof.

The Independent Supporters Council said that it planned to share details from the meeting with supporters at a later date.

The Timbers Army, along with representatives from Western States Center, the Oregon chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Oregon) and several staff members from the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, met with members of the Timbers front office Tuesday to discuss the ban on the Iron Front symbol and political signage at games. The Timbers Army said in a statement that the Timbers front office was “very receptive to the discussion and the input from the community members.”

The Timbers Army also said in its statement that it was hopeful that the upcoming meeting with MLS would move “the league closer to revising the code of conduct in a way that makes it truly inclusive for all."

MLS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Oregonian/OregonLive Wednesday. In a previous statement, MLS addressed its decision to ban the Iron Front flag and political imagery from games:

“Our fan code of conduct policy, which was coordinated with our clubs, prohibits signs that promote any political organization, including the Iron Front flag, which is associated with Antifa... The prohibition on political signage is in place to support the overwhelming majority of MLS fans who come to our stadiums to enjoy a great soccer game. All of our fans and supporters are important to us and we will continue to engage with them to ensure that we deliver an incredible experience for all.”

ISC will hold strong to the 4 items we have published to represent all members in the Code of Conduct discussions. We look forward to sharing about the meeting once it has happened. (2/2) — ISC North America (@ISCSupporters) September 11, 2019

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg

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