D.C. United fan groups plan protest of the MLS club’s preseason trip to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON (AP) — Five D.C. United fan groups say they’ll remain quiet for the first four matches this season to protest the Major League Soccer team’s partnership with Saudi Arabia. D.C. United went to the Middle Eastern country for four preseason games. The groups say they will refrain from banging drums or bringing flags and banners as a sign of protest. In a joint statement they took issue with the club’s values not including a deliberate respect for human rights. D.C. United’s biggest fan group was not among those signed to the statement.