A fan who attended Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite taping in Manchester, England, claims they had to give up their Palestinian flag or they would be removed from the event.
According to a new post by kalofel on Reddit, security confiscated the Palestinian flag they were holding near the aisle seats at the Dynamite taping. It was noted that security told the fan that if he didn’t give up the flag, he would be ejected from the taping for not complying.
“I’ve been to numerous AEW events over the past couple of years and have displayed Palestinian and Trans flags as a sign of solidarity on numerous occasions without incident until tonight where security approached me and told me to either give them the flag or exit the show,” kalofel wrote on Reddit.
Palestinian flag confiscated from the aisle seats during the AEW Dynamite taping at the Co-Op Live in Manchester tonight
by u/kalofel in SquaredCircle
Why was the Palestinian flag taken away at AEW Dynamite?
AEW has not commented on the incident in Manchester. AEW is usually pretty laid back when it comes to fans expressing themselves with signs. This could have been the venue’s decision, or likely a reaction to a recent decision regarding protests in England.
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict has been a controversial topic for many years, but it has grown even more intense in recent months. This has especially been true in the United Kingdom, as arrests at protests have increased. NBC News is reporting that police in London and Manchester announced a crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters, hours after a deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach, Australia.
Protestors have been using slogans such as “globalize the intifada,” which is usually translated from Arabic as “uprising.”
“We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as ‘globalize the intifada,’ and those using it at future protest or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action,” London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley and Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson said in a joint statement. “Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed — words have meaning and consequence.”
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