Protest planned at Vancouver-LAFC match

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Apr 17, 2019

The Vancouver Southsiders, a Whitecaps' supporters group, plan to walk out of their section in the 35th minute of Wednesday's Vancouver-LAFC MLS match at B.C. Place in solidarity for the 14 former members of the 2018 Whitecaps women’s team and Canadian U-20 women’s national team who have come forward and called for an independent investigation into allegations of bullying, harassment and sexually inappropriate behavior by their former coach.

The Southsiders, who called other fans to join them in the protest, will gather in the B.C. Place concourse and then return to watch the second half.

In a statement, they said the protest is not aimed "at our players, nor the technical staff, nor the many earnest and hardworking employees of the Whitecaps. Our dissatisfaction is aimed squarely at the executives who were in charge of the club in 2008 through to the present day. Their silence and lack of accountability in this scandal, as well as the urgent need for better protection for young athletes in all sports compels us to act."

A blog published by former player Ciara McCormack in February detailed her experience. She said it followed a CBC report highlighting the epidemic of sexual predation on young athletes in Canada.

The Whitecaps and the Canadian Soccer Association “mutually” parted ways with the coach in question at the conclusion of an internal review in 2008. The players want B.C. Soccer, the CSA and Whitecaps to conduct investigations into what happened and to made them public.