Dame Maureen Lipman has publicly criticized efforts by pro-Palestinian activists to boycott her recent theatrical performances. The actress praised the group Mensch for organizing counter-protests in her support across several UK cities.
Police Scotland's ruling on the SPSC's devil-horn imagery
The controversy centered on a campaign led by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), which sought to prevent Dame Maureen Lipman from appearing in Aberdeen. According to the source, the SPSC circulated a petition and an image of the actress featuring devil's horns—a symbol widely recognized as a historical anti-Semitic trope.
Despite the nature of the imagery, Police Scotland determined that the post did not constitute a hate crime. This ruling has added a layer of legal tension to the story, as it raises questions about how law enforcement identiifies and prosecutes modern iterations of ethnic and religious prejudice in the digital age.
How the group Mensch countered the boycott in Aberdeen,Glasgow, and Bath
While activists threatened demonstrations during her appearances in Bath, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, Dame Maureen Lipman found an unexpected shield in a group called Mensch. In an article for The Spectator, the actress described these supporters as an "altruistic band of brethren of all faiths" who arrived to protest against the original boycotters.
As the report says, these counter-protests helped stabilize the environment surrounding her performances. Specifically, at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen, the anticipated disruptions failed to materialize, allowing the production to proceed without reported trouble despite the SPSC's organized opposition.
The parallel between Lipman's boycott and Boy George's contract dispute
Dame Maureen Lipman views her experience not as an isolated incident, but as part of a broader effort to silence those who express support for Israel. She specifically highlighted the case of Boy George, claiming that the singer was pressured by other actors to relinquish a contract after defending Israel's right to self-defense in his song "We will Dance Again."
This trend suggests a growing climate of cultural policing within the arts, where geopolitical stances can lead to professional repercussions. by linking her situation to that of Boy George, Lipman frames the boycott as a systemic attempt to marginalize pro-Israel perspectives in the creative industries.
The irony of targeting a play about a Jewish rabbi
A particularly striking detail noted in the report is the subject matter of the play being targeted. The production focuses on a Jewish rabbi who fights prejudice within Israel, creating a paradox where a story about overcoming bigotry became the catalyst for a campaign involving anti-Semitic tropes.
Several questions remain unanswered following the SPSC's campaign.. It is unclear why the SPSC chose this specific production as a target, and the group has not provided a public justification for the use of the devil-horn imagery. Furthermore, the speciific criteria used by Police Scotland to dismiss the hate crime allegation remain undisclosed, leaving a gap in the understanding of how such tropes are evaluated by Scottish authorities.
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