Warwick pulls event with ‘Holocaust just another f***ery in human history’ activist
University apologises for inviting XR co-founder Roger Hallam, saying it did not 'recognise the concerns' raised by Warwick Jewish Society ahead of the event
Warwick University has cancelled an event with a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, who dismissed the Holocaust as “just another f***ery in human history”.
The event titled “Our Responsibilities at This Time” was scheduled to take place tomorrow at 7pm but has been cancelled following an outcry from the Warwick Jewish Society.
In a statement posted to their Facebook page Warwick Jewish society criticised the event and slammed the university for failing to “… recognise the concerns with inviting Roger Hallam, founder of XR, whom has a history of Holocaust minimisation and trivialisation.”
In 2019, the controversial climate activist told German newspaper Die Zeit that the Holocaust was “just another f*ckery in human history”. In the interview Hallam elaborated that “…the fact of the matter is, millions of people have been killed in vicious circumstances on a regular basis throughout history”. In the interview Hallam added that the memory of the Holocaust was holding Germany back,
Following a huge backlash Hallam was forced to apologise for his remarks and“crass” language but he refused to apologise for drawing attention to the“genocide that is happening now” – a reference to the climate crisis.
Climate Reality Warwick confirmed the event’s cancellation in a post shared to their Instagram story earlier today. They stated:
“We have made the decision as a society to cancel the talk tomorrow. When we were approached about the guest speaker, we were not aware who he was until after confirming the event, and of course this is a mistake on our part for not checking.
As a society we strongly condemn some of Roger’s statements in the past, especially regarding the Holocaust, and we don’t feel that he represents us as a society.
We apologise for any potential harm caused.”
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.
