Raptors fan told to remove ‘Free Our Hostages’ sweatshirt with Star of David
Fans at a Raptors game in Toronto on Thursday night were asked to remove a hooded sweatshirt with the slogan “Free Our Hostages” and Star of David.
“A female security guard came up and said, ‘You’re gonna have to stay here until a manager comes to speak to you,’” Leora Shemesh, one of the fans, told National Post.
Shemesh, a criminal lawyer who was dressed for court proceedings earlier in the day, attended the game at Scotiabank Arena alongside fellow lawyer, Gary Grill, who was wearing the sweater when a Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) security guard instructed the two to stay put.
When a supervisor arrived, Shemesh and Grill were notified of an “MLSE policy” prohibiting “any attire that displays a political message,” said Shemesh, who is a Raptors season ticket holder. “I’m thinking to myself, ‘You gotta be kidding.’”
Shemesh, who wears dog tags to honour Israelis still held captive in Gaza, asked whether they would need to remove any jewelry. “No, just the sweatshirt has to go,” the MLSE official reportedly told Shemesh.
She had handed out the sweatshirts to friends to raise awareness of the more than 200 Israeli civilians taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7. Israel says more than 100 are still in captivity.
While she acknowledges she is “far more outspoken than Gary,” Shemesh said Grill “loves the sweatshirt and loves the message. He thought that it was really not a political statement.”
Stadium security offered Grill a Raptors jersey to replace the sweatshirt, but he refused to change. The two voluntarily left the game shortly after. “We were given the option. We were told what to do. We left peacefully. It was all very calm and peaceful, but we were flabbergasted,” Shemesh said.
MLSE responded to the Post’s request for comment by pointing to the Fan Code of Conduct, which “states that fans have a right to expect an environment where they can enjoy the event experience free from, among other things, political or inciting messages.”