Chicago Cubs investigating after fan flashes ‘offensive hand gesture’ at game

The Chicago Cubs said Wednesday they are investigating a fan’s use of an “offensive hand gesture” that was broadcast during the team’s game the previous night.

In footage of the Tuesday game at Wrigley Field on NBC Sports Chicago, a fan could be seen making an alleged “white power” symbol behind reporter Doug Glanville, who is black.

Am I seeing things or is this jack wagon behind Glanville flashing the white supremacy sign? @SarahSpain @BleacherNation pic.twitter.com/6p7d79vIVR

— Chad Rehan (@ChadRehan) May 8, 2019

After footage of the moment began to pick up traction on social media, Crane Kenney, the team’s president of business operations, issued a statement saying that the incident is under investigation.

Kenney said the fan “used what appears to be an offensive hand gesture that is associated with racism.”{mosads}

“Such ignorant and repulsive behavior is not tolerated at Wrigley Field,” he said. “We are reviewing the incident thoroughly because no one should be subjected to this type of offensive behavior.” 

“Any derogatory conduct should be reported immediately to our ballpark staff,” he added. “An individual behaving in this manner will not only be removed from the ballpark, but will be permanently banned from Wrigley Field.”

The hand gesture seen in the video is similar to the symbol for the “OK” sign, a gesture that has become popular in recent years among far-right extremists and white supremacists who use it to make the letter shapes for “w” and “p,” which stand for “white power.” 

Last year, four police officers in Alabama were suspended without pay after each made the hand gesture in an official photo.

Though critics at the time said the officers were using the gesture as a part of a prank called the “circle game,” the local mayor said the officers’ use of the gesture was “contradictory to how we run our city” and was made in “poor judgement.”