Protesters rally against a non-existent drag event
On Friday early, protesters gathered outside a empty pub to voice their opposition to a non-existent drag show.
A protest by Turning Point UK had been planned for 11:00 GMT at The Great Exhibition in East Dulwich.
Locals and pro-LGBT+ activists gathered at 10:00 GMT for a counter rally organised by Stand up to Racism South London.
An outdated event listing on the pub’s website prompted Turning Point UK to organise the protest.
According to a representative for CLIP, which held a Drag Storytime event there in July 2022, the venue’s website still lists the event as occurring every month because the listings haven’t been updated.
Outside the pub, some 200 individuals were spotted, and Met Police officers were present.
A representative at The Great Exhibition pub confirmed that no Drag Storytime event was scheduled for today.
They said that the pub is “committed to offering events that are magical, fun, inclusive and appropriate”.
They added: “[Turning Point UK] appear to be opposing our Drag Storytime event for the under 5s, an event that took place in July 2022.
“Whilst the event was a huge success last year and brought great joy to parents and children alike, there is no event booked at the Great Exhibition next Friday, nor has there ever been.”
The pub’s website featured an out-of-date advertisement for Drag Storytime for Under 5s on April 14 that refers to it as a monthly event. The booking link sends users to the CLIP website, which has no events.
Header Image Credit: Turning Point UK
