Selfridges is in trouble with its Jewish customers after a Selfridges staff member wore a top emblazoned with a pro-Palestinian slogan.

Several customers attending The Bowl, a skateboarding park inside Selfridges London store, were distressed by the instructor’s clothing, which featured a prominent “Freedom 4 Palestine” slogan.  Palestinian flag stickers had also been affixed to the underside of some of the skate boards at the facility.

The families felt particularly upset given the often violent and antisemitic conduct of those protesting for “a Free Palestine” in London and on social media over the last 7 months and the huge increase in antisemitism following the barbaric terrorist attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023. They are now concerned about returning with their young children to the Selfridges skate park.

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has written to André Maeder, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, pointing out that Selfridges appears to have breached the Equality Act 2010 (the “Act”) as a result of allowing its employee to wear a Pro-Palestine jumper and allowing the stickers on the skateboards.

Selfridges was also breaching its own Code of Ethics, since it said that it prided itself in being a “social centre where everyone is welcome”: and treats its customers as “friends …making them feel special and earning their trust”.  The Code of Ethics also has a Diversity, inclusion and respect section which says, “We treat everyone with respect and do not tolerate bullying, harassment, abuse or discrimination in any form…”

Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI commented: “We hope that Selfridges will introduce a dress code, if it does not have one already, to ensure that its employees do not wear political symbols on their clothing, or elsewhere, whilst at work. If Selfridges claims to be inclusive and to respect its customers this should be an easy decision.  Selfridges also needs to ensure that political stickers are removed from its equipment.”