Скачать или смотреть CAIR-Chicago Press Conference: Anti-Palestinian Campaign Sparks Discrimination at East Bank Club Gym

CHICAGO, IL, (8/18/2025) – On Tuesday, August 19, The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) will host a press conference to address an alarming rise in anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic discrimination in recreational spaces.

In recent months, our client Sami, a former East Bank Club (EBC) member, was targeted for expressing pride in his Palestinian heritage. Simply by wearing clothing symbolizing Palestinian resistance, he became the subject of an online harassment campaign, including calls for violence, fueled by external hate groups. Although Sami’s attire did not violate the gym’s dress code, club patrons photographed him without consent and circulated the images online in an effort to pressure the gym to take action. Ultimately, EBC gave in to that pressure and terminated his membership without justification.