A London theater said it was
“sorry and saddened”
after an incident in which a Jewish spectator was allegedly kicked out of the theater after refusing to stand up while a Palestinian flag was being waved, according to an association.
According to the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), an Israeli man, his partner and four other people of Jewish faith left the room during the incident, which occurred Saturday at the Soho Theater during a show by comedian Paul Currie.
Also read: Why are pro-Palestine demonstrations more important in London than elsewhere in Europe?
According to CAA, one of the affected spectators told the organization that the audience was encouraged to stand for the Ukrainian and Palestinian flags at the end of the show.
The Israeli man was then asked why he did not get up, before according to the story relayed by CAA, the actor
“yelled at him”
asking him to leave, while others shouted
“get out”
or
“Palestine free”
.
An event which “recalls the darkest days of Humanity”, according to the CAA
Saying it was
“sorry and saddened”
, the theater assured that it was taking the incident
“very seriously”
and was seeking to establish what had happened
“in the most thorough, sensitive and rapid manner possible. possible"
.
Also read Anti-Semitism: two ultra-Orthodox Jews attacked in a London street
“What members of the Jewish public have experienced is atrocious
,” denounced a CAA spokesperson,
“kicking Jews out of theaters is reminiscent of the darkest days of humanity and must have no place in right in the center of London in 2024
.
Like many countries, the United Kingdom has experienced an increase in anti-Semitic incidents since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, which left more than 1,160 dead, the majority civilians, according to an AFP count made from official Israeli data.
The Israeli retaliatory offensive left 28,340 dead in the Gaza Strip, the vast majority of them civilians, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health.
According to CAA, 80% of Jewish Britons feel that recent events have given rise to increasing hostility towards Jews.