Former Arsenal kit man launches unfair dismissal claim following ‘anti-Semitic' comments
A former Arsenal academy kit man has launched a legal action against the club, claiming he was unfairly dismissed for expressing solidarity with Palestine.
Mark Bonnick, 61, was fired on Christmas Eve last year after Arsenal carried out an investigation into a series of messages posted on his social media pages.
Those messages included references to 'Jewish supremacy' and 'ethnic cleansing', while one of them read: 'Hamas offered to release all hostages in October. Zionist Israel refused. Persecution complex.'
Another post read: 'It is all about Jewish supremacy and not wanting to share the land. Ethnic cleansing.'
In his legal action, Bonnick has demanded that Arsenal reinstate him and issue an apology. In a statement, he has said: 'Israel is an apartheid state. I was sacked not for misconduct, but for expressing grief and outrage over genocide. Despite being this close to retirement, I have no regrets. Arsenal must apologise, reinstate me, and take a stand against anti-Palestinian racism.'
The legal team representing Bonnick, who worked for Arsenal for more than two decades and is a lifelong supporter of the club, is arguing that he was targeted by a 'coordinated online smear campaign by pro-Israel Twitter accounts'.
Bonnick's legal team has claimed that Arsenal's investigation did not find Bonnick's posts to be anti-Semitic, but that he was dismissed on the grounds that he brought the club into disrepute.
Franck Magennis, of Garden Court Chambers, representing Bonnick, said in a statement: 'It's an honour to represent Mark. His dismissal sends a chilling message to those who speak out against apartheid and genocide. Arsenal must be held accountable.'
It was reported in December that Arsenal had received complaints about Bonnick's posts from one of their supporter groups, with the club saying in a statement at the time: 'We are investigating this matter in line with our internal policies and procedures. Arsenal stands against all forms of abuse and discrimination.'
Arsenal have been approached for comment.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Protesters throw rocks, jump on moving ICE vehicle after Omaha workplace raid
After a workplace ICE raid that resulted in the arrests of about 70 alleged illegal aliens at a meatpacking plant in Omaha, several protesters threw rocks and jumped on federal vehicles carrying out the operation. The AP reported that federal immigration authorities made the arrests at Glenn Valley Foods Tuesday morning. Fox News Digital reached out to ICE to confirm the raid but did not immediately hear back. ICE officials told the AP the raid was "based on an ongoing criminal investigation into the large-scale employment of aliens without authorization to work in the United States" and that it was likely the largest "worksite enforcement operation" in Nebraska since President Donald Trump took office. President Trump Calls For Jail Time For La Flag Burners, Slams Rioters Carrying Other Countries' Flags The Flatwater Free Press reported that the situation grew tense after protesters began gathering as a caravan of federal vehicles was leaving the plant. The outlet reported that several protesters jumped on moving law enforcement vehicles and "threw rocks and debris at the cars, shattering one window." Read On The Fox News App Video posted by the outlet shows what appears to be a line of federal vehicles surrounded by protesters on either side throwing objects, kicking the cars and yelling profanity and slogans like "f--- you, pig." At one point during the video, a window can be heard smashing. In another video posted by the outlet, two protesters jumped on the hood of a vehicle as it attempts to travel off. Violence erupted in Omaha with Los Angeles still battling violent anti-ICE riots and the rest of the country facing widespread protests against the Trump administration ramping up of ICE arrests and deportations. 'Very Big Force' Will Address Protestors At Saturday's Military Parade, Trump Says Protests over the raids in Los Angeles devolved into violence over the weekend as rioters targeted federal law enforcement officials by throwing rocks, and videos showed people looting stores, setting cars on fire and taking over a freeway. Trump announced Saturday he was deploying 2,000 National Guard members to help quell the violence, bypassing the governor, who typically activates the National Guard. The administration has also deployed several hundred active-duty Marines to respond to the riots. The move prompted Newsom to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration over efforts to allegedly "federalize the California National Guard," while Democrats across the nation have attempted to pin blame for the violence on Trump's activation of the National Guard while characterizing the anti-ICE riots as "peaceful" demonstrations. Immigration Authorities Highlight Criminal History Of Multiple Migrants Arrested In Los Angeles Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday, Trump said Americans can expect additional immigration raids across the country similar to those in California, warning that any potential riots that break out in response to the raids will be met with "equal or greater force" compared to the government's handling of recent Los Angeles article source: Protesters throw rocks, jump on moving ICE vehicle after Omaha workplace raid
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Sends in the Marines as California Pols Fight Back Against 'Trampled' State Sovereignty
Trump Sends in the Marines as California Pols Fight Back Against 'Trampled' State Sovereignty originally appeared on L.A. Mag. The Trump Administration has called in the Marines to squelch what the President called "lawlessness" in L.A. as protestors continued to demand the release of detainees rounded up in a series of federal raids this week. As many as 700 Marines were moving toward LA from their base at Twentynine Palms, two government officials confirmed to Los Angeles magazine. The uptick in military presence comes as California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom announced they had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for trampling the state's sovereignty. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, names President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the United States Department of Defense as defendants.'We don't take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilizing California National Guard troops,' Bonta told reporters before announcing the filing of the suit that will ask the court to vacate the President's order federalizing the National Guard "by way of a rarely used law," which the Attorney General called a violation fo the Tenth Amendment. 'Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion. The President is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends," Bonta said. Los Angeles spent most of Monday morning into the late afternoon surveilling the damage that was left behind by agitators who left government buildings, public schools, small businesses and park space heavily vandalized. A White House spokesperson responded to Monday's filing saying Newsom should prioritize prosecuting 'anti-ICE rioters' rather than the Trump administration. Newsom responded with, "chaos is exactly what Trump wanted, now we are sending in hundreds more law enforcement to pick up the pieces. State and local leaders stand together, coordinated and resolute to ensure the safety of the Los Angeles region.'The morning began with a large rally of union activists who demanded the release of Service Employees International Union President David Huerta, who was arrested Friday in DTLA while protesting a federal immigration action outside a clothing manufacturer. Hundreds from a slew of city unions crowded into the park, waving pictures of the lifelong Angeleno and labor activist before marching to City Hall in an orderly demonstration of unity. Huerta, 58, was released Monday afternoon just after 3 p.m. after his arraignment on federal charges of conspiracy to impede an officer, federal prosecutors say. Huerta is facing six years in federal prison. Outside the ransacked federal courthouse which is now tagged with anti-ICE slogans and profanity, Huerta addressed supporters who formed a human chain to escort him and his family away from the building "Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice," he told the crowd and reporters. 'This fight is ours, it's our community's, but it belongs to everyone,' Huerta said in Spanish. 'We all have to fight for them.' Shortly after Huerta's release, crowds outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, the federal holding facility where immigrants rounded up in a series of raids this week are being held, began to grow. Gas masks and facial coverings became more prominent in the crowd as the number of National Guard soldiers also swelled. Meanwhile, Mayor Karen Bass announced she would hold a press conference with Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell later Monday afternoon. On Sunday night McDonnell urged Angelenos to behave peacefully, saying "things have gotten out of control," adding that "somebody could easily be killed," by the actions of some of the agitators who are attacking law enforcement officials. This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gov. Newsom: ‘Trump chose theatrics over public safety'
California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard in response to anti-ICE raid protests. Newsom warned that other states could be next, and said Trump 'chose escalation.'
