Latest news with #GunnersForPeace
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Arsenal fans launch satirical 'Visit Tottenham' campaign to protest the club's controversial Rwanda deal
A group of Arsenal supporters have opted for a satirical approach in their campaign against the club's sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda. Gunners For Peace unveiled a 'Visit Tottenham ' billboard outside the Emirates Stadium and said that the club's supporters would rather visit their arch rivals than continue to support the African regime. Arsenal first signed a £10million-a-year shirt-sleeve agreement with Visit Rwanda, which is part of the Rwanda Development Board governmental body, in 2018, lasting three seasons, which was extended in 2021. As well as appearing on the shirt sleeves of Arsenal's men's, women's and youth teams, the Visit Rwanda logo is also on LED boards on matchdays at the Emirates Stadium and interview backdrops. The agreement has seen several past and present Arsenal players travel to Rwanda for sponsored content; David Luiz 's trip in 2019 was particularly memorable, as he stalked a gorilla in the jungle. Last month, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government wrote a letter to Arsenal owners Stan and Josh Kroenke asking that they end the 'blood-stained sponsorship deal' after an invasion of DRC territory involving Rwanda-backed rebel group M23. The invasion of the city of Goma, home to about as many people as the populations of Leeds and Newcastle combined, has caused an estimated 3,000 deaths, according to United Nations officials. Visit Rwanda has adorned Arsenal's shirt sleeves since 2018 and they extended the deal four years ago As part of the protest, the group will be handing out armbands so supporters can cover up the Visit Rwanda branding on their shirts during Arsenal's clash against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. Gunners for Peace have also produced a sardonic tourist video for the home of their bitter rivals Tottenham. 'Arsenal is a great club. We have standards,' reads the billboard outside the Emirates Stadium. 'Which is why Visit Rwanda needs to end. This is the same regime that's funding a brutal militia with thousands of victims in Eastern Congo. We think anything - literally anything - would be better than Visit Rwanda. Even Tottenham.' James Turner of the Gunners For Peace supporter group told The Telegraph: 'It's hard to think of a worse sponsor than Visit Rwanda, and together with many other Arsenal fans we are calling on the club to drop them.' Mail Sport understands the Gunners are exploring more lucrative sponsorship alternatives and are considering not renewing the partnership for a third term. The legacy of the deal, Arsenal's commercial revenue situation and the increasing trend of Premier League teams partnering with foreign nations for millions make for a complicated picture.
New York Times
22-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Arsenal fans protest against club's Visit Rwanda deal with ‘Visit Tottenham' campaign
A group of Arsenal supporters have protested against the club's 'Visit Rwanda' sponsorship and called for the deal to be ended before next season. Gunners For Peace has launched a video mocking the sponsorship, entitled 'Visit Tottenham', the club's local north London rivals. The campaign group will hand out armbands before the men's match against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, with the idea being that supporters will cover the 'Visit Rwanda' label on the sleeves of the club's shirt. There is also a billboard poster outside the Emirates Stadium. Advertisement The Premier League club has been criticised for its association with the tourist board of the east African country, which is led by President Paul Kagame of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) party, who is an Arsenal fan. The UK government suspended aid to Rwanda in February over its support for the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 'We want the board to drop the deal in time for next season,' James Turner, a Gunners For Peace spokesperson, told The Athletic. 'Now we're getting regular Champions League football there must be a queue of sponsors ready to take Rwanda's place, and it would send a great message that some things are more important than money. We're in touch with Arsenal fans in Congo who are refusing to wear the shirt until this sponsorship is ended. This campaign is for them. 'The video is an advert for the delights of Tottenham as a tourism destination. The Tottenham stuff is a joke, a way to get other Arsenal fans talking on the terraces and in the pub. Obviously, none of us would accept Tottenham on the shirt, so why Rwanda? Where do we draw the line when it comes to these corporate deals? We know that Arsenal fans think about this stuff, so we're just trying to make it easier for them to engage with us.' .@Arsenal is a great club. We have standards. Which is why Visit Rwanda needs to end. This is the same regime that's funding a brutal militia with thousands of victims in Eastern Congo. We think anything – literally anything – would be better than Visit Rwanda. Even Tottenham — Gunners For Peace (@gunnersforpeace) April 22, 2025 The Human Rights Watch (HRW) World Report in 2023 stated that RPF 'continued to wage a campaign against real and perceived opponents of the government' and that 'over a dozen political opposition members are in prison' and many are 'being prosecuted or have been convicted on spurious grounds'. Kagame was first elected as president of Rwanda in 2010 and was last re-elected to serve his seventh term in 2017 with 98.8 per cent of the vote, according to the Rwandan National Electoral Commission. HRW said the election 'took place in a context of very limited free speech or open political space'. Arsenal's Visit Rwanda shirt sleeve sponsorship for the men's and women's teams began in 2018, initially on a three-year deal which was extended in 2021. As reported in the club's accounts for 2023-24, the sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda brought in £10million ($13.4m) as part of an overall commercial income of £218.3million. Advertisement Visit Rwanda also holds a deal with Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Kagame attended the Champions League match between the two clubs at the Emirates Stadium in April 2024. The 67-year-old was at that game having met with then-UK Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss regional security and the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership, which proposed asylum seekers in the UK to be sent to Rwanda to be processed under their system. The new Labour government said in July, via Prime Minister Keir Starmer, that it would not continue with the plans. Arsenal declined to comment when approached about this article.
Telegraph
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Arsenal fans launch ‘Visit Tottenham' campaign in protest at Rwanda deal
A group of Arsenal supporters have launched a campaign against the club's sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda, calling for the deal to be scrapped ahead of next season. As part of the campaign, Gunners For Peace have unveiled a 'Visit Tottenham' satirical billboard outside the Emirates Stadium. The group has said that Arsenal supporters would rather 'Visit Tottenham' than to continue to endorse the Rwandan regime. The Rwanda Development Board, a government department, has been an Arsenal partner since 2018 and also has similar sponsorship agreements with Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain. Paul Kagame, the Rwandan president, is an Arsenal fan. Arsenal's deal with Visit Rwanda has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months due to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In February, the UK Government suspended aid to Rwanda over its support for the M23 rebel group in the area. Arsenal's sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda is understood to cover the remainder of this campaign and next season, at least. Gunners For Peace have cited a recent poll of almost 300 Arsenal supporters which found that 58 per cent of fans were in favour of the club ending its deal with Visit Rwanda. Of the polled supporters, 25 per cent opposed ending the deal and 20 per cent said they did not know. As part of their protest, the group will be handing out armbands so fans can cover up the Visit Rwanda branding on their shirts during Arsenal's match against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. Alongside the 'Visit Tottenham' billboard, Gunners For Peace have also produced a satirical tourist video for Tottenham, the home of fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur. 'Visit Tottenham is a joke with a serious punchline,' said James Turner of the Gunners For Peace supporter group. 'It's hard to think of a worse sponsor than Visit Rwanda, and together with many other Arsenal fans we are calling on the club to drop them.' On their website, the Gunners For Peace group added: 'Arsenal is a great club. We have standards. Which is why Visit Rwanda needs to end. 'This is the same regime that's funding a brutal militia committing atrocities against thousands of innocent victims in Eastern Congo. 'We don't want our club to sell its soul to the highest bidder. And we certainly don't want to wear it on our sleeves. We think anything – literally anything – would be better than Visit Rwanda.'
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arsenal fans launch ‘Visit Tottenham' campaign in protest at Rwanda deal
A group of Arsenal supporters have launched a campaign against the club's sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda, calling for the deal to be scrapped ahead of next season. As part of the campaign, Gunners For Peace have unveiled a 'Visit Tottenham' satirical billboard outside the Emirates Stadium. The group has said that Arsenal supporters would rather 'Visit Tottenham' than to continue to endorse the Rwandan regime. The Rwanda Development Board, a government department, has been an Arsenal partner since 2018 and also has similar sponsorship agreements with Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain. Paul Kagame, the Rwandan president, is an Arsenal fan. Arsenal's deal with Visit Rwanda has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months due to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In February, the UK government suspended aid to Rwanda over its support for the M23 rebel group in the area. Arsenal's sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda is understood to cover the remainder of this campaign and next season, at least. Gunners For Peace have cited a recent poll of almost 300 Arsenal supporters which found that 58 per cent of fans were in favour of the club ending its deal with Visit Rwanda. Of the polled supporters, 25 per cent opposed ending the deal and 20 per cent said they did not know. As part of their protest, the group will be handing out armbands so fans can cover up the Visit Rwanda branding on their shirts during Arsenal's match against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. Alongside the 'Visit Tottenham' billboard, Gunners For Peace have also produced a satirical tourist video for Tottenham, the home of fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur. 'Visit Tottenham is a joke with a serious punchline,' said James Turner of the Gunners For Peace supporter group. 'It's hard to think of a worse sponsor than Visit Rwanda, and together with many other Arsenal fans we are calling on the club to drop them.' On their website, the Gunners For Peace group added: 'Arsenal is a great club. We have standards. Which is why Visit Rwanda needs to end. 'This is the same regime that's funding a brutal militia committing atrocities against thousands of innocent victims in Eastern Congo. 'We don't want our club to sell its soul to the highest bidder. And we certainly don't want to wear it on our sleeves. We think anything - literally anything - would be better than Visit Rwanda.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
