A former Arsenal football club kit man has launched legal action against the Premier League club after being dismissed over social media posts critical of Israel’s ongoing genocide against the population of Gaza.
Mark Bonnick, 61, who worked at Arsenal for 22 years, was dismissed in December 2024 following allegations that his pro-Palestine tweets brought the club into disrepute.
At the time, Bonnick was part of Arsenal’s academy community coaching staff and had planned to retire at the club.
Bonnick said the posts criticised Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and referenced terms such as "ethnic cleansing" and "Jewish supremacy," which Arsenal deemed inflammatory.
The club suspended him after a supporters’ group lodged a complaint alleging antisemitic content on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
However, Arsenal later clarified that it had not found the posts antisemitic but stated that media coverage of the allegations had harmed the club’s reputation.
“I regret nothing,” Bonnick told reporters outside Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. “We owe it to Palestinians and to ourselves to oppose racism, colonialism and genocide, just as Arsenal has supported other causes such as Black Lives Matter.”
Bonnick’s case, filed at the Employment Tribunal, accuses Arsenal of unfair dismissal. He claims the nine-day investigation and dismissal process was rushed and unjust.
The controversy has drawn support from the European Legal Support Centre, which advocates for Palestinian rights.
The case also highlights broader tensions within football. Fans and commentators have criticised Arsenal’s handling of pro-Palestinian expressions, especially given the club’s vocal support for Ukraine in the ongoing conflict there.
The legal dispute follows similar controversies in football, including the dismissal of Dagenham and Redbridge director Salma Mashhour over Gaza-related posts, and German club Mainz terminating the contract of striker Anwar El Ghazi for sharing a pro-Palestinian slogan.
Arsenal has, thus far, not issued any official statement on the controversy.
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