Arsenal FC is being sued by a long-serving kitman who says he was sacked over social media posts expressing support for Palestine.
Mark Bonnick, 61, was at the centre of an online storm late last year about his posts on X, formerly Twitter, and was then dismissed from his job just before Christmas after more than two decades with the club.
He claims Arsenal bowed to online pressure from Israel supporters, in a rapid disciplinary process which accused him of bringing the club into disrepute.
Mr Bonnick is now bringing an employment tribunal claim, alleging unfair dismissal, seeking a return to his old job as well as damages, and bidding to restore his reputation.
He denies allegations of antisemitism and says he fell victim to an “online smear campaign” when expressing his opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza
“I was sacked not for misconduct, but for expressing grief and outrage over genocide,” he insists.
“Despite being this close to retirement, I have no regrets. Arsenal must apologise, reinstate me, and take a stand against anti-Palestinian racism.”
The case has been lodged at Watford Employment Tribunal and is expected to be fully heard next year.
Mr Bonnick says he is opposed to Zionism, which he believes is a racist ideology, and he believes he was treated differently by Arsenal to the way others employees would have been they had posted about political views on other topics.
His social media posts were reported in the news in December last year, when he had written: “Hamas offered to release all hostages in October. Zionist Israel refused. Persecution complex.”
One post from December 7 reads: “Why should they be protected any more than any other community? Some see this as the problem Jewish communities thinking they should be put before others.”
There were also references to “Jewish supremacy” and “ethnic cleansing” in the middle of an online discussion about the Israel-Gaza war.
Following multiple news reports, the club responded by announcing it was launching an investigation into the posts.
Mr Bonnick, in his claim, points to Arsenal’s disciplinary proceedings which concluded that his comments “could be perceived as inflammatory or offensive”, and ruling that he had “brought the club into disrepute”.
He was accused of breaching the club’s social media policy and was sacked on December 24, with an appeal being rejected in February this year.
He says dismissal was “disproportionate” and amounted to discrimination and harassment.
Lawyers for Mr Bonnick claim he has been “punished for speaking out”, and Tasnima Uddin, advocacy officer for the European Legal Support Center which is supporting him in his claim, added: “Arsenal didn’t sack Mark for misconduct or antisemitism - they sacked him for standing with Palestine. This is political censorship.”
A protest about Mr Bonnick’s case is also being planned outside the Emirates Stadium for Sunday, ahead of the club’s final home game of the Premier League season against Newcastle.
