Supporters group Gunners For Peace poke fun at rivals in bid to force Arsenal to drop Visit Rwanda sleeve deal
In a week where Arsenal continue their push for Premier League glory, another battle is unfolding beyond the pitch — one driven not by goals or glory, but by principles and protest. A group of Arsenal supporters, calling themselves Gunners For Peace, have launched a sharp-tongued, headline-grabbing campaign urging the club to end its long-standing partnership with Visit Rwanda.
Their method? A bold and brilliantly satirical twist: “Visit Tottenham”.
A Billboard With a Message: “Anything But Rwanda”
On the eve of Arsenal’s clash with Crystal Palace, passers-by outside the Emirates were greeted with a striking new billboard. But this wasn’t the usual promotion for merchandise or match tickets. No, this was a message — one aimed directly at the club’s hierarchy and stitched with heavy irony.
Plastered with “Visit Tottenham” — a phrase enough to make most Arsenal fans wince — the billboard is the centrepiece of a satirical campaign targeting the club’s controversial Rwanda sponsorship deal. And that’s just the beginning.
Alongside the billboard, a mock promotional video extolling the supposed tourist virtues of Arsenal’s bitter rivals — including a tongue-in-cheek endorsement of their stadium tour and “the finest N17 has to offer” — was released to stir conversation and, perhaps more importantly, get under the club’s skin.
Behind the Campaign: Satire With a Serious Cause
While the jokes are biting and the execution clever, the motivation behind Gunners For Peace’s efforts is anything but light-hearted. At the heart of their protest is growing concern over Arsenal’s continued association with Visit Rwanda, a campaign backed by the Rwandan government — one that, critics say, is directly tied to alleged military support for armed groups responsible for violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a statement on their website, the group made their position crystal clear:
“Arsenal is a great club. We have standards. Which is why Visit Rwanda needs to end. This is the same regime that’s funding a brutal militia committing atrocities against thousands of innocent victims in Eastern Congo. We don’t want our club to sell its soul to the highest bidder. And we certainly don’t want to wear it on our sleeves.”
Their tone may be tongue-in-cheek, but the message is deadly serious: Arsenal fans do not want their beloved club associated with a government accused of human rights abuses.
More Than Just Words: Armbands and Action
The group isn’t stopping at billboards and viral videos. Fans attending the midweek clash with Palace will be handed black armbands — not as a symbol of mourning, but as a tool of silent protest. These armbands are designed to cover the Visit Rwanda sleeve logo on replica shirts, allowing supporters to physically distance themselves from the sponsorship.
It’s a small gesture, but a powerful one. One that could catch the cameras and, perhaps, force the club to address the issue in public.
What’s the Financial Picture?
The original sleeve sponsorship deal between Arsenal and Visit Rwanda began in 2018, reportedly worth around £10 million per season. That figure alone makes it one of the more lucrative sleeve sponsorships in English football. The agreement was extended in 2021, and has continued to draw criticism as geopolitical tensions in the Great Lakes region have escalated.
For some, this has become a classic case of football’s values clashing with financial realities. Is it acceptable for a club that promotes community, equality, and integrity to profit from a partnership with a regime accused of fuelling regional conflict?
James Turner, spokesperson for Gunners For Peace, believes the answer is no.
“Now we’re getting regular Champions League football, there must be a queue of sponsors ready to take Rwanda’s place,” he told The Athletic. “It would send a great message that some things are more important than money.”
“Visit Tottenham”: Why the Joke Hits Home
Using “Visit Tottenham” as the rallying cry is no accident. It’s a satirical masterstroke — because no self-respecting Arsenal fan would ever want to be seen endorsing anything related to their North London rivals.
As Turner explained:
“The Tottenham stuff is a joke, a way to get other Arsenal fans talking on the terraces and in the pub. Obviously, none of us would accept Tottenham on the shirt, so why Rwanda?”
In that one punchy line, the group distils the paradox they see in the current sponsorship deal: if something as absurd as a Tottenham logo would never be tolerated, how is a logo tied to far more serious controversies being quietly accepted?
It’s a line of logic designed to challenge fans to think. And it seems to be working.
What’s Next for Arsenal and Visit Rwanda?
As things stand, there has been no public response from Arsenal Football Club. Whether the protest will trigger internal discussions or prompt changes ahead of the 2025-26 season remains to be seen.
What’s clear is that this isn’t a fringe movement. Supporters in the UK and abroad — including Arsenal fans in the Democratic Republic of Congo — are voicing their opposition. Some have even stopped wearing club merchandise altogether in protest.
The pressure is now on the board. Arsenal’s brand has grown globally, with the club regaining its place among Europe’s elite. That brings more visibility, more scrutiny — and, crucially, more choice when it comes to commercial partners.
Final Whistle: Fans Want More Than Goals
Modern football is as much about identity as it is about trophies. For many supporters, their club is an extension of their values, their culture, and their voice. The Visit Tottenham campaign, though satirical, has become a symbol of something far bigger: a pushback against commercial compromise, and a call for conscience in a sport too often swayed by the highest bidder.
As the Gunners prepare for yet another crucial fixture on the pitch, a different kind of battle is being fought in the stands — one where the scoreboard won’t decide the winner, but integrity might.
