# MATT CALKINS: Why are flagpoles allowed at Portland Thorns games? Alleged attacks raise serious questions

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/matt-calkins-why-are-flagpoles-allowed-at-portland-thorns-games-alleged-attacks-raise-serious-questions/
- Published: 2026-10-28T11:51:37+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T12:35:56+00:00
- Original publisher: Fox News (publisher lean: Far right)
- Original article: https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/matt-calkins-why-flagpoles-allowed-portland-thorns-games-alleged-attacks-raise-serious-questions
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- Ari Laureano says fans struck him with flagpoles at a Thorns match.
- Providence Park allows hollow PVC poles up to six feet long.
- The incident has raised questions about spectator safety and stadium rules.

## Summary

Ari Laureano said he was struck twice in the face with flagpoles at a Portland Thorns match after revealing an XX-XY Athletics T-shirt, and that other women in his group were poked by fans. The reported incident has prompted questions about Providence Park’s rules for flagpoles and the safety of allowing them at matches.

The stadium guide permits hollow PVC flagpoles up to six feet long, while banning wooden or metal poles and their use as projectiles. The article says it could not establish whether the poles at the match met those requirements, and the Timbers and Thorns did not respond to questions about the policy. It notes that flag-waving is a common soccer tradition, but says no rule changes have been announced.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.