Watch: BBC describes pro-Palestine protest outside London cinema as a ‘vigil’
The BBC has come under fire for describing a pro-Palestine protest outside a London cinema showing a film about the Oct 7 attacks as a “vigil”.
A demonstration was held at the Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley, north London, in response to the screening of a film about Hamas’s assault on Israel last year.
Supernova was being shown as part of the Seret International Film Festival, but activists vandalised one of London’s oldest cinemas after writing “say no to artwashing” in red paint on the front of the building.
The pro-Palestine activists claimed that the documentary was part of an effort to justify the Israeli Government’s military response in Gaza.
They had allegedly planned to protest at the venue to disrupt further viewings of the film.
However, the cinema was then surrounded by pro-Israel demonstrators, who came to support the venue “against anti-Semites”.
A BBC London report on the events stated: “Pro-Israel supporters celebrated tonight after chasing away pro-Palestinian protesters who were holding a vigil outside the Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley.”
Footage showed a crowd of Israel supporters holding flags and signs while cheering and dancing.
The broadcast was met with criticism online from those who said the BBC had shown “horrendous bias” in its coverage.
Nicole Lampert, a journalist, wrote: “Could BBC News have got this more wrong? Every day I am more and more furious about their horrendous bias.
“Pro-Palestine supporters weren’t trying to hold a ‘vigil’.
“They were trying to stop people seeing a film about the massacre of the Nova festival. They had earlier daubed the cinema in blood-red paint and called the documentary ‘artwashing’.
“Jews and allies showed them enough is enough: we are mourning but our spirit and love of life cannot be dimmed.”
Laura Cellier, who hosts Middle East Now on the Tel Aviv-based television channel i24News, posted on X, formerly Twitter: “A vigil? They came to intimidate people. They were trying to stop people from seeing a film about Hamas atrocities. What is wrong with the BBC?”
A message distributed to the activists before the demonstration, that was also posted online, referred to the screening as “artwashing” and said: “Join us outside Phoenix cinema in protest of the Israeli Government-sponsored film festival, Seret.
“Bring noise. Drums, bells, pots and pans, whistles, rice bottles.”
Another said: “This is an utterly disgraceful report. There was no ‘vigil’ – what kind of ‘vigil’ asks that people bring drums, whistles and anything else to make a noise to disrupt a film?”
A fundraiser has been set up to support the cinema, which was built in 1910, in the aftermath of the vandalism, with more than £1,500 donated so far.
The film directors Ken Loach and Mike Leigh have resigned as patrons of the Phoenix Cinema in protest over the venue hosting the film festival, according to The Guardian.
BBC, the Metropolitan Police, Phoenix Cinema and Seret were all contacted for comment.
