The Israel lobby tries to cancel my gig in Leicester
Caroline Turner, the wife of the CEO of UK Lawyers For Israel, Jonathan Turner, is writing emails to venues where I'm performing, trying to get them to cancel the gig.
Is Caroline Turner and her “charity” trying to promote my new album, Notes From A Holocaust, about the genocide her favorite country is currently committing against the Palestinian people? It seems so. Read her email below and decide.
To The Manager
The Musician Pub
Dear Sir or Madam
This is an urgent email to request that you cancel tomorrow’s event with David Rovics
We are UKLFI Charitable Trust, which provides legal support to victims of antisemitism, particularly antisemitism which manifests itself with regard to Israel.
We have been notified of the event that you are holding this evening with a singer called David Rovics. He is on a tour which is promoting his political views in relation to Gaza and Israel which could stir up racial hatred. These views are demonstrated by his lyrics and his political beliefs and could be seen as violating the laws of this country under:-
Section 18 Public Order Act 1986
18 Use of words or behaviour or display of written material.
(1)A person who uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or displays any written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting, is guilty of an offence if—
(a)he intends thereby to stir up racial hatred, or
(b)having regard to all the circumstances racial hatred is likely to be stirred up thereby.
(2)An offence under this section may be committed in a public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where the words or behaviour are used, or the written material is displayed, by a person inside a dwelling and are not heard or seen except by other persons in that or another dwelling.
(3)F1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(4)In proceedings for an offence under this section it is a defence for the accused to prove that he was inside a dwelling and had no reason to believe that the words or behaviour used, or the written material displayed, would be heard or seen by a person outside that or any other dwelling.
(5)A person who is not shown to have intended to stir up racial hatred is not guilty of an offence under this section if he did not intend his words or behaviour, or the written material, to be, and was not aware that it might be, threatening, abusive or insulting.
(6)This section does not apply to words or behaviour used, or written material displayed, solely for the purpose of being included in a programme [F2included in a programme service].
Section 1 Malicious Communications Act 1988
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/27/section/1
His songs are totally a political expression of his views in relation to the war in Gaza. As they can be interpreted as a potential weapon for stirring up racial hatred you are breaching the law in the UK if he is permitted to perform this evening. We request that you take heed and cancel this tour otherwise we will have no hesitation in contacting the police.
The incendiary nature of his songs can be seen from the song titles listed below.
Stop the Genocide 02:52
Humanitarian Pause 02:50
Famine and Disease 02:32
Just Like the Nazis Did 04:04
Song for the Houthi Army 03:21
Land and Freedom 02:48
Indiscriminate 02:27
It's Christmas Eve 02:40
Antisemite 02:23
Yours faithfully
Caroline Turner
UKLFI Charitable Trust
30 City Road, London EC1Y 2AB
Tel 07905 719650, email caroline.turner@uklfi.com
Patrons: Lord Carlile CBE KC, Lady Cosgrove PC CBE KC, Baroness Deech DBE KC, Lord Dyson PC, Sir Bernard Eder, Lord Grabiner KC, Stephen Hockman KC, Lord Pannick KC, Professor Richard Susskind OBE, Rosalind Wright CB KC.
UKLFI Charitable Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with and regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales
(Charity no. 1169041)
Well, you must be having an effect or they wouldn’t come after you like this. Crazy! They put these hate speech type laws in place so the powerful can claim their opposition are haters and they can prosecute them. Provides cover for small minded people like this to come after guys like you. Well, all the lords and dames are lined up against.
On the other hand, as counter propaganda, seems like you could turn this in your favor. Advertise how the rich and powerful are out to get you. Could make a 5x7 foot poster of the letter and put it up on the wall in the club you are playing in……
Sorry, but unsurprised, to hear that this is happening to you, David. The Israel lobby is really strong and doing all they can to paint anti-genocide as anti-semitic these days. Despite the fact that so many Jewish people are leading the protests against Israel's genocide in Gaza.