Spike Lee restrained at Yankee Stadium after confrontation over Palestine remark

Well-known filmmaker Spike Lee had to be restrained at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday over an alleged remark involving Palestine. A video featuring the director is doing the rounds on the internet, which shows him shouting at a man. Seconds later, he had to be held back by staff at the stadium’s dining area.

Why was Spike Lee restrained?

On Wednesday, the veteran director spent the evening eating a quiet dinner at the New York ballpark before a playoff game. The viral clip shows Lee being pulled away from a fan who had been filming him as he ate, hours before the New York Yankees hosted the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of their wild-card series.

Why'd you come over to me?" Lee can be seen shouting at the man in the clip. According to Fox Sports, people present at the spot stated that a fan was recording Lee's meal and asked him how he felt about Palestine.

One person who approached for a selfie is claimed to have asked Lee to say "F**k Palestine," and Lee reportedly got up from his seat and went looking for security as his anger grew.

In the clip, a man in a checkered blue sport jacket can be seen pointing towards someone at a nearby table and telling them: "You've gotta go. You've gotta go."

According to The New York Post, Lee had walked into the dining area 6:30 PM Wednesday and spent the early part of the evening in a good mood. He even posed for selfies with some fans and even kept seats on his table open in case someone wanted to sit down.

He had been at the ballpark the previous evening, too, watching the Yankees’ win over Boston on Tuesday night (September 29). He was accompanied by his daughter, Satchel.

The event follows seven months after filmmaker Spike Lee was seen at the February NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles carrying a bag accented with a Palestinian flag and wearing a traditional keffiyeh.

Lee later clarified on Instagram that his attire was "not intended as a gesture of hostility to Jewish people... nor was it intended as a comment on the significance of Deni being an All-Star," referring to Israeli player Deni Avdija.