Plane spotted flying over St James’ Park with anti-Saudi banner prior Newcastle v Arsenal

A plane has been spotted flying over St James’ Park with an anti-Saudi banner prior to the Newcastle v Arsenal game on Sunday evening.

A plane with a message saying ‘Free All Saudi prisoners’ was seen by eagle-eyed fans and photographers inside the ground as the national anthem was being played before the Premier League clash.

The message was shown seconds ahead of the game getting underway at 4.30pm and was a message for the Newcastle ownership. The club are owned by the Public Investment Fund, which is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia.

The plane was organised by the SANAD Organisation, who according to their Twitter profile, say: “We aim to alleviate the suffering of the arbitrarily detained individuals and all those denied their civil and political rights in Saudi Arabia.”

Magpie Women Against Saudi Sportswashing @yvonneridley wrote: “Well done @SANAD_en for highlighting #Saudi human rights abuses – #MWASS message is clear. You can buy our club but not our silence .. brace yourselves for more. You can not ignore the blood money that pays Eddie Howe’s wages.”

Well done @SANAD_en for highlighting #Saudi human rights abuses – #MWASS message is clear. You can buy our club but not our silence .. brace yourselves for more. You can not ignore the blood money that pays Eddie Howe’s wages. pic.twitter.com/lwRfkMQm0R

— Magpie Women Against Saudi Sportswashing (@yvonneridley) May 7, 2023

BREAKING 🚨 Plane flies over St James’ Park carrying a sign saying ‘Free All Saudi Prisoners’ pic.twitter.com/snRgeame6L

— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) May 7, 2023

A plane with a message saying ‘Free All Saudi prisoners’ flew over St. James’s Park before Newcastle ’s Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sundayhttps://t.co/Ut4Nqlaark pic.twitter.com/Ii6aeqWbb4

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) May 7, 2023

Their website states more about who they are…

Due to the deterioration of the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia and the absence of impartial and effective human rights institutions at home, and the fierce silencing of all voices demanding rights and public freedoms, we, as founding members, board of trustees and honorary members, announce the launch and registration of the Sanad Human Rights Organisation to defend political and civil rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to monitor all human rights violations practiced by the regime of Mohammed bin Salman and disclose them to the public, international media, and Western institutions.

In Sanad, we seek to let the world know about detainees behind bars in Saudi Arabia and the violations committed against them for their human rights activism, expressing their opinions, or demanding their legitimate right to freedom of speech; and to convey their voices and sufferings to free societies that respect opinion, freedom of expression, and human rights.

Who We Are:

A human rights organisation – officially registered in the UK – that defends political and civil rights in Saudi Arabia, and monitors human rights violations and exposes them to human rights bodies and media, civil and political institutions around the world.

Their aim:

A leading human rights organisation for free people and activists in the world interested in human rights and the Saudi affairs.

Vision:

Defend civil rights and political freedoms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, monitor human rights violations practiced by the Saudi regime, and be a voice for all unlawful detainees, the oppressed, activists and human rights defenders.

Work Tracks:

We, in Sanad, work through the following Tracks:

1- Media Track

Sanad aims to introduce the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia globally through various media, platforms and channels, in addition to preparing periodic human rights reports and holding conferences and seminars that exhibit the reality of human rights in Saudi Arabia.

2- Legal Track

This track aims to build databases of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, collect relevant evidences and testimonies, and move legally and judicially in this track against those involved in those violations.

3- Public Relations Track

Communicating and building relationships with people and active entities that can have an impact on introducing the Saudi human rights reality and pressing for its improvement.

We believe the following values:

Human Rights:

Sanad is a rights-oriented and action-based organisation that respects private and public human rights, sees the importance of the global dimension in identifying and exposing violations, and respects all religious, intellectual, cultural and social components of the society, in evenness and harmony, away from any polarisation or conflict; and cares for the human beings and their concerns and pains without discrimination.

Peaceful: The organisation calls for solving human rights issues by peaceful means, and rejects violence and calls for its containment in a way that enhances stability, development and progress.

Developmental: Sanad calls for efforts and investments in human development and the development of human rights institutions concerned with national affairs.

Optimistic: Sanad believes that the society and civil forces in the country are able to overcome the current circumstances and face its challenges, works to confront the culture of violence caused by official policies in the country, and strives to uphold the spirit of determination, development and growth.

Futuristic: Sanad organisation starts from the present, benefits from the past, and is more concerned with the future that new generations aspire to.

Professional: Sanad emphasises strict adherence to the basic professional principles of humanitarian action, in accordance with the global professional Charters for international humanitarian organisations.

The game itself saw Arsenal move back to within a point of Premier League leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand; Martin Odegaard and a Fabian Schar own-goal was enough for the important victory at St James’ Park.

Newcastle: Pope (8), Trippier (6), Botman (6), Schar (6), Burn (6), Joelinton (6), Willock (5), Guimaraes (6), Murphy (6), Wilson (6), Isak (7)

Subs: Almiron (6), Anderson (6), Saint-Maximin (6), Gordon (6), Targett (6)

Arsenal: Ramsdale (8), White (7), Gabriel (7), Kiwior (7), Zinchenko (6), Xhaka (8), Jorginho (8), Saka (7), Odegaard (8), Martinelli (8), Jesus (7)

Subs: Nketiah (6), Partey (6), Nelson (6), Trossard (6)

Player of the match: Jorginho

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, speaking to Sky Sports: “Fine margins for us and we just came out on the wrong side of them. We missed some big chances in the game and it just wasn’t quite there for us. I am sure I will look back at some moments and rue some moments we didn’t get quite right.

“If Jacob’s (Murphy) chance goes in early on, it is a totally different game. There are loads of things we will look back on and think it could have gone our way and didn’t. We have to take ownership of that. We are disappointed as I don’t think we defended as well as we have done for the majority of the season. But we gave everything. It was a high-level game and two teams going right at each other. That produced a good spectacle.

“There were loads of chances there and we didn’t put the ball in the net. We have done in our previous run of games. We didn’t keep the ball well enough and were a bit loose in possession. When you give Arsenal transitions they are a very dangerous team and so it proved.

“The result would tell you they did [imposed their style on the game], but in truth I think neither were dominant. It was to that bit of quality to win it. It hinged on big moments.

“We have four games remaining and need three results. Liverpool and other teams are coming. They are top level. We can only do what we can do and I believe in the character of the team to get it over the line.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, speaking to Sky Sports: “They showed what it takes to come here, in this environment, against a great team, what it takes to win. The desire to keep digging, keep believing, with a reward which is so big. We had to do it today and we did everything we had to do to win the game.

“Sport always gives you another opportunity, and then you have to take it, and learn from those moments and see how you felt in those moments to overcome it, and act in a different way. The team did that really well today.

“You have to go through the pain and the emotion of what you felt in the moment. You can’t forget it if you want to become better, you have to recognise that in any moment you can have that feeling. It’s a horrible feeling, you don’t want to have it again. You have to do your most, and you might lose still – this is sport – but it had to be different today.

“Jorginho was exceptional, he was man of the match, there were question marks because it was going to be really physical, but if you want to go physicality against physicality, you have no chance to win the game so we had to try something different.