LIV Golf protesters send messages by land and air to decry Saudi 'blood money'
LANCASTER — Protests, including a small gathering on the ground, and a message sent through the air, marked the first round at the controversial LIV Golf series at The International golf club in Bolton.
A private plane flew a protest banner early Friday evening that read, "Bolton Rejects Saudi Blood Money," to show a local group's opposition to this weekend's LIV Golf event, according to Patrick Mahoney, a Bolton resident who helped pay for the flight.
The flyover occurred from 5:30 to 6 p.m.
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It was supposed to fly over the course at 2 p.m. Friday, but those plans were scrapped after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary no-fly zone over the club that runs through this Sunday.
The banner flew over the outskirts of The International, including the towns of Stow and Marlborough.
A total of 23 donors – 22 from Bolton, one from Lancaster – paid a total of $1,150 for the flight.
The LIV Golf series is getting a lot of attention.
Not only for its big-name stars like Phil Mickelson and Cameron Smith, the second-ranked golfer in the word, but also because the series is financially backed by the government of Saudi Arabia, with its reported lengthy list of human-rights abuses.
In a prepared statement, the group blasted the human-rights abuses, and Bolton officials for allowing LIV Golf to host its event in their town.
"We reject LIV Golf using the community of Bolton to try to polish Saudi Arabia's image.
"The Saudi Royal family has a long and brutal record of human rights abuses, oppression of women, persecution of the LGBTQ community, murder of dissidents and voices of opposition including Jamaal Khashoggi, and of course state-sponsored support for 9/11.
"It is disgraceful that the town of Bolton rolled out the red carpet to LIV Golf and its financial backers. We couldn't stop the event, but it is important to give a voice to what we are hearing in our community. So many of us are appalled.
"While the right to protest has been severely restricted around town, the message flying proudly over Bolton and neighboring towns on Friday evening is BOLTON REJECTS SAUDI BLOOD MONEY."
LIV Golf and The International did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Protesters ignored
Meanwhile, paying customers appeared to ignore a small group of protesters Friday morning at the Bolton Fairgrounds, the only visitor parking area designated by event organizers.
Art Shaughnessy and his son, Donovan, stood in a line of people at the fairgrounds, waiting to board shuttle buses to The International.
“No, I haven't really noticed them,” said Shaughnessy of Upton when asked about a group of Massachusetts Peace Action protesters just off to his right, in a nearby area of the fairgrounds.
“I'm really here for the golf,” said Shaughnessy.
That feeling was echoed by others who stood in line. Some said it’s hypocritical to single out this tournament when other sports leagues receive money from countries with reported human-rights abuses.
“Go ask the PGA what they’re backed by. It’s probably China," said Susan Barnes, who came all the way from Elba, Alabama, to take in the tournament.
“Tell the protesters they don’t know what they’re talking about.”
Lone protest group
Massachusetts Peace Action was the only group of protesters at the Fairground on Friday morning, which was the only area tournament organizers allowed protesters to be.
The group numbered fewer than a dozen, holding signs and banners that said, “Saudi Money is Blood Money” and “Saudi Arabia kills journalists and kids in Yemen.”
“The main reason we’re here is that Saudi Arabia funds this golf tournament,” said Paul Shannon, who sits on the group's executive committee. “It’s one of the most repressive governments on earth.”
Shannon's group ticked off several Saudi human-rights abuses, including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a 34-year jail sentence for a mother who tweeted support for women's rights, and its backing of the war in Yemen that has killed more than 150,000 people.
“Saudi Arabia’s funding of this golf tournament is outrageous to us,” said Shannon.
Fourth stop
The International is the fourth stop in a new golf series by LIV Golf that rivals the PGA Tour, and the majority of LIV’s funding reportedly comes from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, controlled by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Kevin Moulton of Sterling stood just outside a fence that separated him from visitors as they lined up to board shuttle buses.
A member of Massachusetts Peace Action, Moulton quietly held out protest materials in his right hand as visitors walked past. Only three people grabbed one.
Some in line appeared annoyed by Moulton standing there. One man said, “We get gas from Saudi Arabia, and [former President Bill] Clinton gave money to them in the 1990s.”
Another man said, “The PGA takes a lot of Saudi money, too.”
“I’m here to educate people and let them know where the money is coming from,” said Moulton, adding that the Massachusetts Senate team of Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, plus Worcester U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern, should have joined the protesters.
“I wish there were more protesters here, but we’re doing the best we can,” said Shannon.
Message sinking in?
When asked if their message was getting across to those in line who seemed to be more interested in getting to the tournament, protestor Paul Garber of Acton said the “ordinary person will say blood money from Saudi Arabia is a bunch of crap.”
As for LIV Golf, and whether it's hearing their message from the course that is several miles away from the designated protest area at the fairgrounds, Garber believes LIV is getting so much money from Saudi Arabia that “they don’t give a damn.”
“This should be embarrassing to America generally that this [golf tournament backed by Saudi Arabia] is going on,” said Garber.
'Free country'
Back in the line, visitors patiently waited their turn to hop on a shuttle bus, but when the topic of Saudi Arabia was brought up, Bob Jones of Mendon didn’t hold back.
“There are other countries with human rights abuses that own property in this country. It’s a free country, and people can do what they want.”
“Two sides to every story” is how Ellie Leonard described her feelings about LIV Golf and its connection to Saudi Arabia.
Her husband, Chris, focused on the sunny morning and the fun that they paid to see at The International.
“We’re not here for politics. We’re here for good times, and we want to see some great golf.”
Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrytelegram
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This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: LIV Golf protesters hire plane to decry Saudi 'blood money'
