A journalist has claimed she and her friends were kicked out of a pub for being supporters of Palestine.
Ash Sarkar said on X (formerly Twitter) that she was in a pub with two friends, one wearing a Palestinian scarf and the other holding a flag.
She said: “Just been forced out of a pub by men threatening me and my friends with violence, and hurling abuse.
“Staff were very apologetic about it, but the fact is the media and politicians have whipped up a frenzy of hate.
“Before my friends arrived, the man who was most aggressive had been waving around a copy of the Evening Standard which had an image of a poppy at odds with a Palestinian flag.
“When he saw my friends, he accused them of spitting in the face of people who fought for this country.
“I saw this guy get riled up by the papers, to the point of threatening to assault people who hadn’t done anything to him. Others joined in.
“There was also a distinct undertone of racism. It’s a troubling reminder of how media moral panics have direct consequences on the streets.”
Though lots of users in the replies were supportive of Ash, there were some who insinuated the treatment she and her friends faced was deserved.
One said: “Good to know there are people of principle around. God bless him.” And another said: “What did you expect the reaction to be?”
This comes as a pro-Palestine protest due to take place in London this weekend prompted controversy. Many called the march “disrespectful” to fallen soldiers.
