A Peter Kay fan was reportedly denied entry to his stand-up show at London’s O2 Arena for wearing a shirt with the message “free Gaza”.
Venue staff told the unidentified man and his partner, who had booked tickets two years in advance, that his shirt could “cause danger and disruption” on Saturday, August 10.
Security personnel said he would not be allowed to enter unless he changed his shirt, and that turning it inside out was not an option.
They directed him to a merchandise shop and other outlets to purchase alternative clothing, but insisted on keeping the "free Gaza" shirt if he wished to attend the show.
The O2 Arena has since acknowledged the mistake, admitting that they "got it wrong" and expressing regret over the decision.
The incident was filmed and posted on TikTok, where the man’s partner is heard saying: “Wowza, that’s mental. He has to go and buy a t- shirt?”
“You do realise there is a genocide going on?” she says to the guard who remained non-plussed.
@watford.psc Denied entry to the O2 for wearing a t-shirt for 🇵🇸 #palestine #boycott #boycotttheo2 #freepalestine #endthegenocide #fy #fyp #viral #gaza #savepalestine #uk #endoccupation
♬ original sound - Watford PSC
Both the man and woman have north American accents and are said to have booked the tickets more than two years ago.
The controversial video, shared by Watford PSC on TikTok, has generated thousands of views.
An O2 spokesperson said: “We try to make the best decisions we can, with the information we have available, in a timely fashion.
“We don't get every decision right and on this occasion we made a judgement call and got it wrong.
“Safety and security are our paramount priority at all times, and we do everything we can to provide a safe and respectful environment for all guests.
“It is for this reason that our prohibited items policy exists, stipulated in our terms and conditions for all events.
“These are items in our reasonable opinion that may cause danger or disruption to any event or to other visitors.
“On this occasion that was not the case and entry should have been granted.”
