A group of San Francisco Bay Area sports fans has formed an organization to promote safe practices at sporting events, increase awareness, and encourage sportsmanship in the stands.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oakland, CA – Sep 12, 2011– The violence and shootings following the August 20, 2011 matchup between the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49rs at Candlestick Park in San Francisco was the final push towards the formation of Fans Against Violence.“What happened in San Francisco with the Raiders and 49ers, and with Bryan Stow at Dodger Stadium in March, just can’t happen again,” explained co-founder, Julie Simmons. “Our goal is to create a platform for discussion between fan bases and promote initiatives that improve fan conduct.” Fans Against Violence is non biased and is not aligned with any specific fanbase or sport. However, the organization will focus on fan conduct and game day safety by working in conjunction with individual teams and leagues.
The official Fans Against Violence website, http://www.fansagainstviolence.org, and Facebook page launched on September 6, 2011. The organization was immediately inundated with support and received several invitations to work with local fan groups. Fans Against Violence looks to expand its campaign by partnering with fan groups and like-minded organizations across the country.
The extreme instances of fan violence over the 2011 sporting year have put this important issue in the forefront. While these events made National headlines, there is a disturbingly increasing number of fan related acts of violence which go un-reported. Fans Against Violence is dedicated to maintaining the urgency of awareness to this issue and empowering fans in “Taking Back the Stands.”