• Jasvinder Khosa was asked to remove his ‘Free Palestine’ T-shirt during after another gym-goer found it ‘offensive’. Khosa is a retired teacher and stroke survivor.
• Strongly opposing Israel’s genocidal actions, he’s unsure about wearing the T-shirt again if it risks his membership. He workouts for his physical & mental health.
A gym-goer has claimed he was asked to remove his ‘Free Palestine’ T-shirt during a workout after another customer said they found his T Shirt ‘offensive’.
Jasvinder Khosa, 64, said he had worn the T-shirt for five years without issue, but on 15 January, a Virgin Active staff member at the Nether Edge gym in Sheffield requested he take it off. The retired teacher argued that it was his right to wear the shirt, which also calls for a boycott of Israel on the back.
In addition to the text on the back, Khosa’s T-shirt displays an image of a missile over a pram. Khosa is a Sikh man from Ireland, who suffered a stroke 30 years ago requiring multiple brain surgeries. He exercises regularly in order to regain strength. “The gym not only exercises my body but is really good for my mental health”, he said.
Describing himself as ‘strongly against Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories’, Khosa insisted his aim was not to upset others. “I want people to come up to me and have an open discussion. People have stopped me before and said “good on you”. I’ve gone for coffee with other people and talked about this stuff. Ultimately, it’s my right to wear this T-shirt”.
The ongoing genocide has seen Israel occupying the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank since 1967. Over 45,000 Palestinians have been massacred since October 7th.
Khosa has expressed uncertainty about wearing the T-shirt again at the gym, especially if Virgin Active threatens his membership. “I need to come here and do my stretching, so I need to have a good think about this”, he said.
