Right-wing group Turning Point UK will protest against a ‘Drag Queen Storytelling’ event at the Great Exhibition pub in East Dulwich tomorrow, despite the pub’s claims there is no event planned for Friday and never was.
Turning Point UK has led a series of marches against events where drag queens read books to children, and told the News the protest scheduled for 11am on Friday, March 10, will go ahead.
But in a bizarre twist, the pub has released a statement on Twitter saying: “They appear to be opposing our Drag Storytime event for under 5s, an event that took place in July 2022.
“Whilst the event was a huge success last year… there is no event booked at the Great Exhibition next Friday, nor has there ever been.
“However, we remain committed to offering events at this pub that are magical, fun, inclusive and appropriate.”
Turning Point UK claims the pub has tried to “cover up” the event by deleting it from their website.
It has shared what it claims are screenshots of the original event post, saying “while these crafty lefties may have deleted this event – most likely in an effort to avoid a public boycott in response to the fact they have exposed children to adult performers – they failed to delete their Drag Queen children’s events and have left one in April up on their website”.
Yesterday, East Dulwich residents reported receiving flyers through their doors urging them to join the protest.
According to Turning Point UK, they are worried that children will look up drag queen performers online after attending the story-telling and “be exposed to adult content which is unacceptable”.
Five arrests at protest over kids’ drag queen storytelling at the Honor Oak pub
The leaflets suggest that conservative political commentator Deacon Calvin Robinson and Laurence Fox, the actor and political activist, will be attending.
Only hours ago, the group tweeted a photo of them delivering leaflets writing: “Leaflets dropped around the Great Exhibition Pub so locals are aware of what is happening under their noses.”
Local resident Annette Martin, 75, who received a flyer, wasn’t impressed, saying: “We’re not best pleased and I think some of us are going to try and counter the protest. All my neighbours think it’s ridiculous.”
On Saturday, February 25, Turning Point UK, held a protest outside the Honor Oak pub over their ‘Drag Story Hour’.
Although police said the protests were “largely peaceful”, five people were arrested – three for affray, one for a public order offence and one for assault on an emergency worker and possession of an offensive weapon.
Footage posted of the event appeared to show Turning Point UK protestors heavily outnumbered by counter-protesters.
The Met Police was approached for comment.
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