lastonbury Festival has reportedly cancelled a screening of a “hateful conspiracy theory film” about former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews (BDBJ) said they were “pleased” by the decision, following their appeal to organisers of the music festival calling for the film’s removal.
In a letter to organisers Michael and Emily Eavis, the organisation’s president Marie van der Zyl expressed her “deep concern” over the film, titled Oh, Jeremy Corbyn: The Big Lie.
It was reportedly due to be shown on June 25 at Glastonbury’s Pilton Palais cinema and described, according to the BDBJ, as “the banned Corbyn documentary”.
Ms van der Zyl said it would be “profoundly sinister” to have such a film platformed at the festival.
“This film, we understand, seeks to suggest that organisations such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews, of which I am the President, somehow helped to ‘orchestrate’ Jeremy Corbyn’s downfall as Labour Party leader,” Ms van der Zyl wrote.
Adding that the reported decision to show the film was “worrying” her letter continued: “Your festival is one of the most successful festivals in the UK.
“It seems profoundly sinister for it to be providing a platform to a film which clearly seeks to indoctrinate people into believing a conspiracy theory effectively aimed at Jewish organisations.
It seems profoundly sinister for it to be providing a platform to a film which clearly seeks to indoctrinate people into believing a conspiracy theory effectively aimed at Jewish organisations.
“We would request that you not allow your festival to be hijacked by those seeking to promote hatred with no basis in fact, in the same way as we would hope that your festival would not screen films seeking to promote other conspiracy theories, such as anti-vaccination, 9/11 truthers or chemtrails.”
The BDBJ tweeted the news that the film would no longer be shown at the festival.
“We are pleased that in the wake of a letter we sent earlier today, @glastonbury have announced the cancellation of the screening of this film,” the account wrote.
“Hateful conspiracy theories should have no place in our society.”
Glastonbury Festival has been approached for comment.
