A video showing a fan of the UK Spurs soccerteam being forced to put away an Israeli flag has sparked outrage.
In the video a masked security guard approaches the man and demands he put his Israeli flag away or leave the stadium.
“This isn’t the time or place for you to be using that flag, alright?” the stadium security guard says to the man.
He gives him two options. “Your options are, you put that flag away and it doesn’t come out again… The second option you’re going to get, you’re going to be asked to leave the stadium.”
The man repeatedly asks the security guard for the rule he is breaking by having the flag with him. Several other people he appears to be with also chime in and ask the security guard to explain to them why having an Israeli flag at the match is an issue.
The man and his friends reiterate that they are “not inciting anyone” and ask to be left alone. The security guard then appears to either call the police or his supervisor.
Fans of the Spurs, which is a popular soccer team from Tottenham, London, have often been seen flying Israeli flags during matches.
During the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas, British Premier League players from multiple teams carried Palestinian flags on the field after games, reported the Jewish Chronicle.
A spokesperson for the Spurs told the Chronicle that flags of “any political or religious affiliation” were not allowed at matches, especially “anything that could possibly be considered inflammatory.”
“The club has always considered that a football match is a time to show allegiance to a football team first and foremost,” said the spokesperson, noting that national flags “during times of political conflicts” were not welcome.
The Football Association, the governing body of association football in England, does not have a ban on internationally accepted national flags.