Another row over free speech has erupted at the Winter Olympics after an argument between a group of Israel fans and an employee in the official merchandise store at the Cortina Sliding Center was filmed and shared on social media over the weekend.
In the video, an unnamed woman, who is filming the incident, says: “What were you saying? Say it again.”
The employee replies: “Free Palestine. What’s the problem?”
The camera then pans to another person who is leaving the store with an Israel flag draped over their back, while the woman filming the video says: “This is the Olympics — Israel is allowed to compete just like any other country.
“It’s not controversial. It’s not rage-baiting.”
The employee responds by saying “Free Palestine” several more times, as the woman also leaves the store.
According to reports in the Italian media, the employee was then removed from his shift.
The video has been widely discussed on Instagram, X and other platforms, with supporters of Israel welcoming the employee’s removal, while the country’s critics have condemned the move, describing it as an attack on free speech.
The employee has been named on social media but The Athletic has not confirmed his identity and he has not commented on the incident.
On Monday, International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams was asked during his daily briefing in Milan if there had been any discussions about increasing security to make sure all Jewish people at the Games can feel safe.
“We don’t comment about security issues at all, for obvious reasons,” he said. “But I would assure people from every faith and country that they’re very welcome here.
“We welcome them supporting their team and watching the sport. We hope they feel secure, we think they should. We hear their concerns.”
Luca Casassa, a spokesman for the local organising committee, said the incident happened on Thursday and the employee involved worked for a subcontractor, not Milan Cortina 2026 itself.
He then explained that all staff at the Games, whether they are directly employed or not, must follow the rules, which would appear to mean refraining from voicing political opinions of any kind.
It remains unclear if the employee has been fired, as some reports have suggested, or just warned about his future conduct.
This dispute follows last week’s debate about when and where athletes are allowed to express themselves, after Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the men’s skeleton event for refusing to drop his plan to wear a helmet that commemorated Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia.
The IOC told him that athletes can make tributes like his but not on the field of play, on the podium or in the Athletes’ Village.