Floyd Mayweather was evacuated from London’s Hatton Garden jewelry district after being confronted by protesters over his support for Israel.
The undefeated boxing champion was shopping for luxury watches and jewelry on Tuesday when he encountered a group of eight to 10 men who challenged him about his stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, The Sun reported. Security footage shows Mayweather being quickly escorted into a black SUV and driven away.
#FloydMayweather's visit to London was derailed by an angry mob of anti-Israel protesters this week. pic.twitter.com/6Nb2MmUBri
— TMZ (@TMZ) December 10, 2024
The former boxer has demonstrated his backing for Israel through several high-profile visits following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack, in which Gazan terrorists killed more than 1,000 people—mostly civilians—and abducted 250 others. He also made a $100,000 donation to Israel’s United Hatzalah emergency service, to buy 100 bulletproof vests for medical volunteers.
Last month, Mayweather hosted a barbecue at an Israel Defense Forces military base and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he publicly encouraged to “never back down.”
A witness told The Sun that the incident in London lasted approximately two minutes, with at least one person allegedly attempting to strike Mayweather. However, in an Instagram post, Mayweather clarified that he emerged from the confrontation unharmed and was not physically touched.
This is not the first time Mayweather has faced public criticism over his position on the conflict. Earlier this year, during a Las Vegas press conference for his new vape brand launch, an activist confronted him, and his security team confiscated a PLO flag, leading to loud chants of “Free Palestine” from attendees.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.