Arsenal Football Club is facing legal action from former long-serving kitman Mark Bonnick, who claims he was unfairly dismissed for expressing support for Palestine on social media.
Bonnick, 61, a lifelong Arsenal fan, had served the club for 22 years—12 as a full-time employee and 10 as a contractor. He was sacked on Christmas Eve 2024, shortly after posting criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza during the ongoing genocide. The posts drew backlash from pro-Israel social media accounts and triggered an internal investigation at Arsenal.
With support from the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC), Bonnick has filed a legal claim for unfair dismissal. In a statement released through the ELSC, he said:
“Israel is an apartheid state. We stood against apartheid in South Africa — we should stand against it in Israel too. All I did was express grief, anger, and sorrow over the atrocities unfolding in Gaza. For that, Arsenal fired me. That sends a chilling and dangerous message.”
Arsenal acknowledged in internal documents, seen by Mondoweiss which broke the story, that Bonnick’s posts were not antisemitic but insisted they brought the club “into disrepute.” Despite stating that “individuals will have differing views,” the club suspended and later dismissed Bonnick for language it deemed “inflammatory or offensive.”
Bonnick’s posts used terms like “Jewish supremacy” and “ethnic cleansing,” mirroring terminology used by global rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Israeli NGO B’Tselem.
In his statement after being dismissed by Arsenal, Bonnick added:
“Even after losing my job so close to retirement, I would still urge others: speak out. We owe it to Palestinians — and to ourselves as human beings — to oppose racism, colonialism, and genocide. The outpouring of love and solidarity I’ve received has been overwhelming. I have no regrets.”
“What hurts most is that Arsenal — a club I’ve loved, served, and supported — chose silence in the face of horror. Why won’t they speak out now? Why is solidarity only acceptable when it’s safe or convenient?”
Fan groups including Gooners for a Liberated Palestine and the Arsenal Lebanon Supporters Club have publicly backed Bonnick and condemned what they describe as a double standard in how the club handles political speech.