Jubilee Pageant chiefs apologise over Nazi symbol on Northern Soul float
search

The latest Jewish News

Read this week’s digital edition

Click Here
News

Jubilee Pageant chiefs apologise over Nazi symbol on Northern Soul float

A float at the pageant, built by the Northern Soul fans, featured a "Black Sun" - similar to the SS logo and used in Nazi Germany and later by neo-Nazis

Black Sun, right, on the Northern Soul float at the Jubilee Pageant parade
Black Sun, right, on the Northern Soul float at the Jubilee Pageant parade

The organisers of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant have apologised after one float had a Nazi symbol on display during Sunday’s parade.

A float at the pageant, built by the Northern Soul fans, featured a “Black Sun” – a sun wheel with radial sig runes used in Nazi Germany and later by neo-Nazis which is similar to the logo of the SS.

The symbol, on the side of float alongside more traditional Northern Soul logos, has since been employed by neo-Nazis as a substitute for the Swastika.

The Platinum Jubilee Pageant Company has apologised for any offence the symbol might have caused.

Its spokesman said: “This is a genuine mistake and we apologise for the offence caused. The act intended to represent the Twisted Wheel Club associated with Northern Soul music from 60s and 70s, and the symbol was unfortunately mislabeled on search engines.

“This is an error with no malicious intent. Anyone who has seen the pageant will know it is all about inclusivity, tolerance and unity and this symbol does not correlate with anything it stands for.”

Twitter users branded the inclusion of the symbol in the pageant “poor judgement” and demanded answers as to how it ended up there.

One said: “I’m guessing they Google image searched Northern Soul images… but that one… that’s not a Northern Soul symbol mate, it’s a WW2 Nazi badge.”

Another posted: “Um. This… this is a Nazi symbol. Is this real? WTF happened?”

A third said: “Nazi symbol on the Northern Soul float? The same Northern Soul that celebrated Black American Soul Music? I hope it was done by someone who didn’t have a clue and just liked the pattern.”

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.

For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.

You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.

100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...

Engaging

Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.

Celebrating

There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.

Pioneering

In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.

Campaigning

Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.

Easy access

In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.

Voice of our community to wider society

The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.

We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.

read more: