“Game over” as Manchester United cancels event with modern-day antisemitic hate preacher David Icke at Old Trafford this evening following letter from CAA

It is “game over” for modern-day antisemitic hate preacher David Icke, as Manchester United has confirmed to Campaign Against Antisemitism that it has decided to cancel his event at Old Trafford this evening.

The venue of “An evening with David Icke” had been a closely guarded secret until two tickets with a face value of £85 each were spotted on eBay and reported to Campaign Against Antisemitism by actor Marlon Solomon and Sussex Friends of Israel.

We immediately wrote to the club alerting them to Mr Icke’s views, following which they cancelled the booking.

A reporter for the Jewish Telegraph learned that the event had been booked through an agency without mentioning that Mr Icke would be speaking, but as soon as management received the information that Mr Icke was the speaker, they stopped the event. This was then confirmed to us directly by a source at the football club, followed by an official statement that “The booking was made by a junior member of staff who was unaware of Icke and his objectionable views. The event has been cancelled.”

Mr Icke is a modern-day antisemitic hate preacher who uses social media, his books and his stage performances to incite hatred towards Jewish people. His preaching is so absurd that since the 1990s he has been dismissed as a crank, but because he is dismissed there has been no major opposition to him and he has built up a following of thousands upon thousands of disciples whom he has persuaded to adamantly believe that the world is in the grip of a conspiracy run by the “Rothschild Zionists”.

His repertoire includes conspiracy myths and tropes classified as antisemitic in the International Definition of Antisemitism, adopted by the British Government, including: “making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions” and “accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.”

Mr Icke’s antisemitic views have resulted in some venues cancelling bookings for his show in 2018. Central Hall in Southampton and St Andrew’s Hall in Norwich have both taken a highly principled stand. North West Friends of Israel have also been successful in causing the cancellation of Mr Icke’s events at the Lowry Hotel in Salford, Sheffield City Hall and the Gladstone Theatre in Wirral.

We commend Manchester United for immediately reacting to our letter by cancelling Mr Icke’s event.

You may wish to join Campaign Against Antisemitism by sending thanks to Manchester United by e-mailing [email protected].