On the 10th of August, a man was barred from entering the O2 Arena for wearing a T-shirt imprinted with the slogan: “Free Gaza.” A video of the incident began to circulate online, and the venue have now issued an official apology, confirming that they would review their policies to prevent an incident like this from occurring again.
The incident occurred last week as a couple were trying to see a Peter Kay live show, but were stopped by a member of security who deemed the shirt inappropriate and against policy. The man’s request to turn the shirt inside out was denied, and he was consequently refused entry.
He was denied entry to the O2 for wearing a t-shirt that said "Free Gaza." pic.twitter.com/ZYUInPamD7
— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) August 16, 2024
AEG Europe, the company that owns the O2, told Middle East Monitor that the couple were not allowed in as the shirt fell under the venue’s ‘prohibited items policy,’ stating that: ‘in our reasonable opinion, [they] may cause danger or disruption to any event or to other visitors’.
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor entertainment venue located in the Greenwich Peninsula area of London, England. It is one of the largest and busiest music arenas in the world, known for hosting a wide range of events, including concerts, sports, comedy shows, and other entertainment spectacles.
It has hosted some of the biggest names in music and entertainment, including Beyoncé, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, and many others.
The recent incident has brought bad publicity to the O2, however, as it has led to calls on X for people to boycott the venue.
London's O2 arena last week refused entry to a man for wearing a t-shirt with the words 'Free #Gaza', leading to calls to boycott the venue, which has since apologised https://t.co/n4xgl11z55
— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) August 17, 2024
Boycotting brands or companies associated with Isreal’s war on Gaza is not uncommon, with a survey finding that over one-third of consumers are boycotting brands due to perceived stances on the war, using their purchasing power to express political views. This survey included 15,000 individuals from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK, US and India.
Many prominent US-companies, such as Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s, are facing significant challenges due to boycotts, despite many of them asserting that they do not support a particular side in the Isreal war on Gaza.
In response to the backlash that the O2 received, they released an official apology, stating that they “sincerely apologise for any offence and upset this incident may have caused.”
As reported in NME, the O2 went on to say: “Safety and security are our paramount priority at all times, and we do everything we can to provide a safe and respectful environment for all our guests. It is for this reason our ‘prohibited items’ policy exists, stipulated in our terms and conditions for all events.”
