Gosport poppy ban, USA News (Gosport, Hampshire): Protesters descended on a JD Wetherspoon pub after veterans wearing poppies were banned from entering after their display of remembrance was branded a political symbol. On Sunday afternoon, staff refused a group of six people entry into The Star in Gosport, Hampshire.
A clip from the incident first reveals a confrontation with security, then what appears to be a manager. In the video shared on social media, the bouncer tells the group he is just doing his job. He goes on to say if they were to put their poppy on inside, they would be asked to leave. The member of staff, believed to be the manager, said a blanket ban had been put on anything that could be perceived as political.
Following the refusal, demonstrators have descended on the pub, covering the outside of the establishment with poppies in protest. Footage shared on social media showed two men stood on tables outside as they plastered the stickers on the windows and sign of the pub. The video, shared on TikTok, was captioned stating it looked like the Gosport Wetherspoons were getting a taste of their own medicine. Dozens of people could be seen holding Union Jacks and St George Cross flags outside, with one banner reading Traitors. Another group of men could be seen brandishing a sign declaring no politics in pubs and referencing Havant patriots.
Reform UK councillor for Portsmouth City Council, George Madgwick, told GB News that founder and owner of Wetherspoons Sir Tim Martin will go ballistic when he finds out about Sunday’s incident. He stated he could not believe it and that if it wasn’t recorded he wouldn’t believe it’s true either. Mr Madgwick told the broadcaster the group were members of Reform UK and had been out campaigning, but did not have any visible sign that they were representing Nigel Farage’s party.
On the same day, around 400 anti-migrant protesters descended on the area after two small boats had turned up at the nearby shore. A counter protest was also present and Hampshire Police said both protests passed without incident and no arrests were made.
A JD Wetherspoon spokesman previously stated that Wetherspoon has been a long-standing supporter of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, with poppies for sale in their pubs, including the Star. The spokesman added that there is no ban on poppies in Wetherspoon pubs, but explained that there were some standard security measures in place that day as a result of demonstrations in the town. Unfortunately, some members of the public, including some wearing poppies, did not gain entry to the pub. The pub closed to all customers on the advice of the police at 17:00 and remains closed, with an apology offered to regular customers for the inconvenience.
