Transport for London Employee Investigated for Distributing Pro-Palestine Stickers

A Transport for London (TfL) employee is being investigated after footage emerged showing her distributing pro-Palestine stickers at a London Underground station. The incident occurred near ticket barriers, where a passerby claimed to have heard the employee shout "Free Palestine." The staff member, wearing a TfL polo shirt, was recorded handing a sticker to a commuter. The sticker featured the Palestinian Authority flag intertwined with the logo of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and bore the words "Solidarity with the people of Palestine."

TfL's code of conduct and uniform policies state that employees are prohibited from engaging in political activity while on duty, including the distribution or wearing of political materials. Following the circulation of the video on social media, a TfL spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Mail that the organization is "investigating the circumstances."

The advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) described the video as evidence of "brazen political campaigning." The incident also draws parallels to previous controversies involving TfL staff expressing pro-Palestine sentiments.

Six months prior, a London Underground driver was suspended after being filmed on camera stating that Jews were not safe while he was driving the Bakerloo Line. He was seen at a protest holding a banner representing the RMT's Bakerloo Branch and told the camera, "Stay well clear." Another incident involved a Tube driver who was suspended and issued an apology after leading a "Free Palestine" chant on an underground train in October 2023. Passengers responded to his repeated "free free" calls with "Palestine" over the train's speaker system.

In response to the latest incident, the CAA urged TfL to investigate any "exclusionary behavior" and called for clarification on why staff are engaging in political activity on TfL premises. Councillor Susan Hall, leader of the Conservative group on the London Assembly, also called for the incident to be investigated, stating that if the individual was on duty, the action was "totally unacceptable."

A TfL spokesperson reiterated that staff are bound by the code of conduct, which prohibits the wearing or handing out of political material, and confirmed the investigation is ongoing.