Soccer league says Sounders fans can fly anti-Nazi flag

Fans of the Seattle Sounders have scored a victory: They'll now be allowed to fly an anti-fascist flag at games this season.

After months of walk-outs and negotiations, Major League Soccer told fans like Tom Biro on Tuesday night that the “Iron Front” flag will not be included in the league ban on political imagery.

“This may be part of our repertoire of things that we like to fly, just as we would other Sounders flags or the Pride Flag or other things like that, but it is not the focus," Biro said.

The league said the flag is fine for the next two weeks of the season and through the play-offs, but there’s no guarantee for next year.

Biro said in the offseason, fans will be working with the league on rewriting that code of conduct.

“Frankly just build a code of conduct that removes vagueness, which is one of the things here," he said. "This wasn’t just about Iron Front imagery.”

Several Sounders official supporter groups, including Emerald City Supporters and Gorilla FC, have been pressuring the league with walkouts.

Recently, one ECS leader was kicked out of a match in Seattle for waving the flag. That prompted a walkout by other ECS members that left a large section of the stadium empty.

Portland Timbers fans have also complained about the league ban.

The Sounders face the Quakes this Sunday in San Jose.