A Jewish man said he was left feeling ‘shocked’ and ‘very offended’ after spotting a football fan wearing a Manchester United shirt with the word ‘Hamas‘ on the back, alongside the number seven, while walking through the capital.
The dark-haired man was snapped casually walking along near Oxford Circus tube station in London on Friday afternoon sporting the ‘Hamas 7’ Red Devils jersey.
Met Police has confirmed they are actively looking to identify the man wearing a top with ‘an offensive message’.
A Jewish man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said it looked newly-printed and feared the number, alongside the word ‘Hamas’, might be a reference to the October 7 attacks against Israel.
Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.
A Jewish man said he was left feeling ‘shocked’ and ‘very offended’ after spotting a football fan wearing a Manchester United shirt with the word ‘Hamas ‘ on the back, alongside the number seven, while walking through London on Friday
The dark-haired man was snapped casually walking along near Oxford Circus tube station in London sporting the ‘Hamas 7’ Red Devils jersey
A witness who took photographs of the man, said he feared the word ‘Hamas’ in combination with the number seven might be a reference to the October 7, 2023 attacks against Israel
Membership and expressing support for Hamas is an illegal act and punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
He said: ‘I was walking to collect some shoes and saw this guy. I thought it was pretty unbelievable – no one was reacting or seemed to notice.
‘I followed him for about two minutes and took photos. I think he was aware I was taking photos of him, but didn’t seem to care.’
The man questioned whether Hamas could have been a surname, but believes this is unlikely.
He added: ‘Even if it was his surname, surely he would have been aware of the association.
‘The shirt was a Man United shirt and looked to be newly printed.
‘Wearing the name of a terrorist organisation is really shocking,
‘I was very offended, especially as the number seven could have been in reference to the October 7 attacks.’
The onlooker said he reported the matter to police and was told officers in the area would be notified and keep a lookout.
Hamas is the terrorist organisation responsible for killing around 1,200 people and taking 252 citizens hostage on October 7, 2023.
In a statement provided to MailOnline, the Met Police said: ‘On Friday, 24 May police received a call from a member of the public reporting that a man was walking in Oxford Street, W1 wearing a football shirt with an offensive message on it.
‘Enquiries are under way to try and identify the man.
‘Anyone with information that could assist police is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD3538/24May.’
After being contacted by MailOnline, Manchester United confirmed that it does not allow political slogans to be printed on shirts sold through official club channels.
Met Police confirmed they are seeking to identify the man wearing a shirt with ‘an offensive message on it’
