Serbian volleyball player suspended after making anti-Asian racist gesture during match against Thailand
CNN
A Serbian volleyball player has been suspended for two matches after she was caught on camera stretching her eyelids -- a racist gesture used to mock people with Asian heritage -- during an international competition between Serbia and Thailand.
Sanja Djurdjevic violated the sport's disciplinary rules on June 1 while competing in the match in Italy, according to a statement given Tuesday from the FIVB Disciplinary Panel Sub-Committee. In addition to the suspension, the independent body, which is responsible for imposing disciplinary sanctions within FIVB competitions, fined Serbia's volleyball federation the equivalent of $22,000. According to the panel, the FIVB will donate the money to a cause dedicated to tackling discriminatory behavior and/or to fund educational programs on cultural sensitivity.Elected officials, Jewish advocacy groups and civil rights leaders are vowing to “push back” against the message of a White nationalist group that staged a march last week near downtown Columbus, Ohio, calling the demonstration an act of hate unwelcome in their community – and the United States more broadly.
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