A colleague has criticized the police for ‘misinterpreting’ an art show that was accused of depicting Jews as ‘blood-stained, child-eating monsters,’ following officers stating no laws were violated.
Lord Ian Austin, an independent member of the House of Lords, criticized Kent Police for choosing not to pursue any additional measures against Matthew Collings and his art show titled “Drawings Against Genocide,” which the peer referred to as “a disturbing example of extreme anti-Jewish bigotry.”
The performance, held at Joseph Wales Studios in Margate, includes simplistic illustrations of smiling IDF soldiers positioned above bones and blood, while another image shows figures carrying a flag of the Star of David soaked in blood.
One photograph shows two auctioneers associated with Sotheby’s, a company controlled by French-Israeli billionaire Patrick Drahi, eating babies as blood flows from their mouths.
Another project features Lisa Nandy with money and aIsraeliflag, with speech bubbles reading: ‘I am a Zionist’ and ‘I am paid byIsrael‘.
Supporters of racism claim that the artwork uses highly offensive anti-Jewish stereotypes, causing significant public anger.
Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman described the images as ‘disgusting’, historian Simon Schama found them ‘appalling’, and politician and journalist Lord Michael Gove called the exhibition ‘truly terrible’.
The debate has been so intense that earlier this week, Thanet District Council distanced itself from the event and expressed regret for ‘any distress or offense that may have occurred’.
However, Kent Police stated that the artwork “did not satisfy the legal criteria” for a criminal offense and also found no evidence of material that was “explicitly offensive or derogatory towards Jewish individuals.”
The artist has justified his work as a critique of Zionism, not as antisemitic – although critics quickly highlighted a sign at the entrance that read: ‘Antisemitic art exhibition this way’.
Lord Austin stated it was ‘concerning’ that Kent Police had deemed the artwork ‘completely acceptable’ despite its explicit nature.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, he stated: “It reveals a truly astonishing level of confusion, akin to the Keystone Cops, that fails to recognize this so-called art show for what it truly is — a disturbing demonstration of extreme anti-Jewish prejudice.”
Did the officers overlook the fact that there’s a sign at the entrance reading ‘antisemitic art exhibition this way’?
These simplistic illustrations extend well beyond valid criticism of the Israeli government, portraying British Jews as wicked infant murderers and utilizing common stereotypes about Jews consuming blood and secretly controlling the world.
It is truly concerning that Kent Police consider this acceptable. I find it hard to believe that law enforcement would reach the same conclusion regarding an art show that so harshly targeted another race or religion.
Alex Hearn from Labour Against Antisemitism stated: ‘The fact that a police force considers portraying Jews as controlling the media and consuming infants as “criticism of Israel” highlights how crucial intervention is.’
‘Blood-soaked hate scrawls about Jews featuring swastikas and ‘the lobby’ controlling the government are not legitimate politics. The police need to do better, and proper training is needed.’
In a reply to someone who officially raised concerns about the exhibition, and which was viewed by the Daily Mail, Kent Police stated there was ‘no sign that the artist intended to provoke racial or religious hostility.’
The force had also evaluated whether the artwork fulfilled the requirements for a non-criminal hate incident, but this also failed to meet the standard.
This is due to the content being politically oriented, concentrating on a nation state instead of a protected group, and being part of artistic expression, which is safeguarded by freedom of speech laws.
It stated: ‘There is no evidence to imply hostility towards Jews as a collective, nor any sign of potential danger.’
Earlier in the week, writer Zoe Strimpel shared that she felt disturbed following an incident where she was reportedly yelled at by the artist and surrounded by others after she questioned the artwork on display.
She wrote: “My cheeks are flushed. I am trembling. I entered an exhibition that proved to be the bizarre vision of an artist named Matthew Collings: ‘Drawings Against Genocide.’”
Describing the interaction, she stated: “[Collings] was immediately confrontational. As soon as I began to express that I was shocked and threatened by what I saw, as it was Nazi imagery, the artist started shouting at me, claiming that I didn’t truly mean what I was saying.”
She said: “Whenever I attempted to speak (in a calm manner), he would say: ‘you don’t truly mean what you’re saying,’ claiming that I was just reciting ‘hasbarah talking points’ because ‘you’re supporting a genocide.’ He kept shouting like that, right in front of me.”
As per her description, the circumstances escalated quickly: ‘The crowd started shouting and moving closer to me, attempting to push me out. I responded: “fine, get the Jew out” and he shouted back across the room, repeatedly mocking, “call the police, go ahead, call the police.”‘
Collings later responded online, rejecting the criticism as ‘Zionist nonsense’.
He stated: “Someone else in the room said, ‘I’m a Jew and I don’t feel unsafe.’ Personally, I believe that this Zionist rhetoric of fabricating such false accusations, which equates anti-Semitism with anti-Zionism, has lost its impact.”
Ms. Strimpel filed an official complaint with the police after the event and was informed that, following an inquiry, ‘no criminal offenses were found.’
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