A's Fans Say Protests to Las Vegas Relocation Will Continue in 2024 MLB Season

Oakland Athletics fans will not give up fighting to keep their team in the Bay Area.

After attracting the largest crowd of the A's season to the Oakland Coliseum with a "reverse boycott" June 13, protestors of the team's move to Las Vegas will hold events in August and September and plan to continue in 2024, according to The Athletic's Melissa Lockard.

"It's like an engine, and it keeps revving up every time," said Jorge Leon, president of the Oakland 68s, the fan group behind the June 13 event. "The reverse boycott was just one of many events that we already had planned."

The Athletics had an average Tuesday attendance of under 4,000 before the reverse boycott, which brought 27,759 fans to the stadium. Many were wearing bright green t-shirts that read "SELL," a message directed to owner John Fisher.

The same day of the reverse boycott, Las Vegas governor Joe Lombardo approved a bill approving the construction of a $1.5 billion baseball stadium on June, appearing to clear a path for Fisher to accomplish his goal of moving the team to Southern Nevada.

The team's move would come after the 2024 season, when the A's contract with the Oakland Coliseum expires. The Athletics have played in the venue since 1968, but its deteriorating condition has led to at least a decade of problems ranging from sewage leaks to infestations of feral cats and moths.

Those problems, combined with the team boasting the lowest payroll and worst record in the MLB, has caused overall attendance to plummet.

By holding these events, Athletics fans hope to show the team's leadership that fans would attend A's games if the team's ownership and venue issues are solved. According to Oakland 68s leadership, these efforts will continue until relocation becomes official.