Fan carrying a Palestinian flag ran onto the field in Yankee Stadium during 9/11 commemorations

A fan carrying a Palestinian flag ran onto the field at Yankee Stadium at 9:11 p.m. on Friday, the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, before being tackled and detained by security, The Athletic reported.

The fan entered from the left-field seats and ran toward center field, briefly evading police officers and stadium security personnel before he was brought down on the outfield grass.

After officials escorted him beyond the center-field wall, spectators seated above the New York Mets bullpen threw beer cans in his direction and booed as he was removed from the stadium. Chants of “USA” then broke out among the crowd.

The Yankees declined to comment on the incident, according to The Athletic.

The disruption came in the top of the seventh inning at a critical point in the Yankees-Mets game. The Mets had loaded the bases with Francisco Lindor at the plate, two outs and a full count, while the Yankees led 5-2. After play resumed, Lindor lined out to end the inning.

A night commemorating the attacks

The incident occurred during a game steeped in commemorations of the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001. Before the game, the Yankees honored those killed in the attacks and welcomed members of the 2001 Yankees team, including Derek Jeter, for pregame ceremonies.

The anniversary was also marked in Israel this week. The US Embassy, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund and JNF-USA held a ceremony at Jerusalem's 9/11 Living Memorial on Thursday, marking 25 years since the attacks. The Jerusalem memorial contains the names of all those killed on 9/11 and incorporates a fragment of the World Trade Center.

The Palestinian flag displayed at Yankee Stadium also evoked memories of reactions in the Palestinian territories and Jerusalem on the day of the 2001 attacks.

A 2023 Jerusalem Post opinion article by former Israeli ambassador Mark Regev, recounting Palestinian reactions to the September 11 attacks, said then-PLO chairman Yasser Arafat's security services moved to suppress spontaneous celebrations that emerged in Palestinian-controlled areas following the attacks. In Jerusalem, where Arafat's forces had no authority, footage from Damascus Gate showed Palestinians celebrating the attacks, Regev wrote.

The Yankee Stadium incident comes against the backdrop of the Gaza conflict, which began after Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.

A ceasefire under US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan took effect in October 2025, ending the period of full-scale fighting, although Israeli strikes and clashes have continued amid accusations by Israel and Hamas of violations of the agreement. The implementation of the Trump-backed Gaza ceasefire plan has since proceeded in stages.