It appears that not everyone is welcome to klap it at the Old Eds Virgin Active gym in Houghton, Johannesburg after a man was thrown out for wearing a pro-Palestine t-shirt to his workout session.

Muhammed Desai, a paying member of Virgin Active,  was asked to leave the premises after he wore a shirt that shows his support for the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement yesterday. Virgin Active have now come under fire with supporters of the movement threatening to wear similar shirts to other branches of the fitness chain around the country. Here’s TimesLive:

Under fire for restricting freedom of speech in the twitter outburst that followed‚ Virgin Active said in a statement its policy was “for our health clubs to be neutral spaces in which members can pursue their health and wellness goals while‚ at the same time‚ accommodating the rights and freedoms of all members”.

“We are not in the business of restricting speech or policing personal behaviour unless it contravenes the club rules‚ the law or carries some kind of threat to the safety of staff and members. In all instances we seek a negotiated solution to any perceived conflict. “The T-shirt worn by Mr Desai generated strong complaints from fellow members at the Old Eds club and he was politely requested by management not to wear it in future. He aggressively declined this request and said he would force entry if he was refused.

“When he appeared at the club‚ clearly intent on making a political statement and generating confrontation‚ management were genuinely concerned about the potential consequences and called on the police to intervene.”

After a social media backlash Virgin Active were forced to issue a statement offering their support for freedom of speech and warning those who planned to challenge Desai on the matter:

The gym’s management would seek a meeting with Desai to discuss it further. Virgin Active SA also cautioned: “Any member who made provable threats on our premises of physical violence against Mr Desai‚ or any member on any occasion‚ will have their membership reviewed and possibly terminated.”

With the freedom of speech and expression enshrined in our Constitution you have to wonder whether gym goers wearing other politicised t-shirts, perhaps emblazoned with ANC or DA insignia, would also be tossed out. The fitness chain’s rules on the matter from News24:

Items of clothing are not banned from Virgin Active branches but members must exercise tolerance and respect for others…

Virgin Active’s policy on attire worn inside its gym is unclear with its website simply stating that members “ensure that your choice of clothing doesn’t make other members feel uncomfortable”.

I suppose in a time where people will find just about anything to be offended by that is rather open to interpretation. What is clear is that the gym in question, as well as Virgin Active as a whole, haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory as this one plays out.

[sources:timeslive&news24]