MLSE threatens to eject people wearing `Free Our Hostages' shirts
Handed cards at Raptors game in Toronto
Fans wearing “Free Our Hostages” sweatshirts at a Toronto Raptors game on Tuesday were handed cards notifying them if they did not remove the clothing they would be asked to leave.
“Your signage and/or clothing is in violation of this policy and you are requested to remove or cover it so that it complies with our venue policy,” the leaflet handed out by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) staff, said. “We are happy to provide you with an article of clothing that may assist you in this request. Failure to comply may result in ejection or a legal Notice of Trespass from the premises.”
Leora Shemesh, one of the fans, told National Post that the gathering was “a beautiful evening of solidarity with a group of people whose only initiative was to bring attention and awareness to the 130-plus people being held hostage in Gaza.”
Shemesh, whose friend was asked to remove a similar hooded sweatshirt back in late February, said the demonstration “was not a protest and not a rally.”
“It was an opportunity for people to remind those around us that there are innocent people who remain in Gaza. We came together with a message of love and peace and we wanted MLSE to appreciate that these lives matter. With courage and pride we brought awareness to those whose voice cannot be heard. Silence is not an option,” she said.
“We felt that our message was at least shared and seen. These small initiatives are powerful for our small yet mighty group.” MLSE distributed the cards to a group of more than a dozen fans wearing sweatshirts, some of which also featured the Star of David and the message “End Jew Hatred.” The fans agreed to remove the sweatshirts, but some later put them back on and received additional warning cards, but MLSE staff did not ask them to leave.
“A written reminder of the policy and the importance of it for venue safety was shared with a small handful of attendees who attempted to display messaging promoting different causes,” MLSE spokesman Dave Haggith told the Post in an email. “Similar reminder notices have been used on a number of occasions, including recently with mask compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. With this clarification now broadly communicated, MLSE will continue to enforce the code of conduct in a fair and consistent manner moving forward to ensure a safe and inclusive environment at events.”
Alexandra Smith, another attendee and the director of End Jew Hatred, said she thought stadium security might have been briefed beforehand about their visit. “It was clear they did not wish to make a scene but did not want these sweatshirts to be worn either,” she said in an email on Wednesday.
“Throughout the evening, we were praised by people for the reminder that hostages are still being held every minute of every day while we all go about our lives.”
The cards come against the backdrop of critics saying MLSE has contradicted its own policy of keeping the stadium free from politics.
The company's “Arena Code of Conduct” bars all forms of political signage. However, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto was decorated in the latter's national colours in addition to a social media statement in solidarity with the beleaguered Eastern European country.
At the time, the Toronto Raptors had a Ukrainian player, Svi Mykhailiuk, who released a statement alongside a former NBA player condemning Russia's invasion. Two years on, MLSE appears to have adopted a different approach to the conflict in the Middle East, which began after Hamas invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7 and killed more than 1,000 people.
In late February, Shemesh accompanied a fan wearing a similar sweatshirt demanding the return of Israeli civilians taken hostage. MLSE security demanded they remove the shirt, or leave.
Shemesh believed the policy was hypocritical. “We were thinking about all the things that have happened; Black Lives Matter; the woman who sang for the (NHL) all-star game who was wearing a kaffiyeh: they didn't ask her to take it off,” Shemesh said, referring to Kiana Ledé's recent performance at Scotiabank Arena. “If I put, `Hostages Lives Matter,' is that not the same?”
MLSE told National Post that recent controversies have underscored the learning process the organization has undertaken as politics have seeped into the sports and entertainment group.
The company's previous post in solidarity with Ukrainians “is an example of the learnings by the company in recent years when dealing with community groups that has shaped our policies and resulted in preventing messages that may be divisive or deemed political in nature,” Haggith told the Post in an email.
“MLSE stands firmly against all forms of hate and discrimination and is committed to ensuring our venues are inclusive, welcoming and a safe place for all,” Haggith said.
Some Raptors fans are less than convinced by MLSE's statement, with some pointing to the organization's failure to institute a Jewish Heritage Month while the organization has regularly spearheaded celebrations for Pride, Black History, as well as Asian and Indigenous Heritage. By comparison, some teams home to large Jewish communities — such as the Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors, and Washington Wizards — have held a Jewish American Heritage Month.
Haggith pushed back against the idea and pointed to recent events over the years “2005, 2006, 2014” where the Raptors “hosted Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa” for “in-arena celebrations of Jewish culture.”
The spokesman noted a similar incident involving Palestinian Canadians who were asked to remove their kaffiyehs — symbolic Palestinian scarves — as well as a poster demanding “Free Palestine” at a Mariah Carey concert at the same venue.