Freedom for Humanity

Last updated

Freedom for Humanity
Mear One - Freedom for Humanity (mural).jpg
Artist Mear One
Year2012
Medium Mural
ConditionTemporary
Location London
Coordinates 51°31′13.2″N0°4′17.9″W / 51.520333°N 0.071639°W / 51.520333; -0.071639

Freedom for Humanity was a temporary mural by the American artist Mear One (Kalen Ockerman), painted on a wall in Hanbury Street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in mid-September 2012. It depicted men wearing business suits seated aside bent-over naked figures who formed a table while playing a Monopoly -like board game that rested on the naked figures' backs. Overseeing the scene is an Eye of Providence surrounded by images of industry and protest.

Contents

The mural was criticized for using anti-semitic tropes and imagery [1] [2] [3] including stereotypical depictions of Jews, references to finance and the monetary and Masonic associations of the Eye of Providence. [4] [5] The artist himself, Mear One, has said that "My mural is about class and privilege. The banker group is made up of Jewish and white Anglos,". [6]

Reactions

A local Jewish Conservative Party councillor likened the mural to antisemitic propaganda in pre-war Germany. [7] [4] Lutfur Rahman, the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, sought to have the mural removed; "The images of the bankers perpetuate anti-Semitic propaganda about conspiratorial Jewish domination of financial and political institutions", he said. [4]

Mear One responded:

"I came to paint a mural that depicted the elite banker cartel known as the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, Morgans, the ruling class elite few, the Wizards of Oz. They would be playing a board game of monopoly on the backs of the working class. The symbol of the Free Mason [ sic ] Pyramid rises behind this group and behind that is a polluted world of coal burning and nuclear reactors. I was creating this piece to inspire critical thought and spark conversation. A group of conservatives do not like my mural and are playing a race card with me. My mural is about class and privilege. The banker group is made up of Jewish and white Anglos. For some reason they are saying I am anti-Semitic. This I am most definitely not... What I am against is class." [8]

Nick Wright wrote in a Morning Star article that although only two of the depicted figures were meant to be Jewish, the piece "clearly exaggerates the distinctive features of all six men" and that "exaggerated depictions of Jews are created, disseminated and understood in a historically defined context that includes a powerful, even dominant, discourse that draws upon the long traditions of antisemitism embedded in the dominant ideology and expressed, over the centuries, in the dominant visual culture". Further he states "the subterranean narratives around notions of the Illuminati, Freemasonry and bourgeois conspiracies cannot, in much popular imagination, be disentangled from deeply suspect discourses in which alien, semitic and covert elites are the controlling forces in our lives". He concludes that "This is bad art and worse politics". [9] [10]

In June 2024, Republican congressman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania shared a meme of the mural on his Facebook page before deleting it. [11] [12]

Jeremy Corbyn's response

Labour Party MP Jeremy Corbyn responded to a message from Mear One posted on Facebook containing an image of the mural stating that the mural was to be effaced the following day, objecting on grounds of freedom of expression. Corbyn replied, "Why? You are in good company. Rockerfeller [ sic ] destroyed Diego Viera's [ sic ] mural because it includes a picture of Lenin." [13] an apparent reference to Nelson Rockefeller's destruction of Diego Rivera's Man at the Crossroads fresco in 1934. [14]

Corbyn's response was questioned in The Jewish Chronicle in November 2015, [14] and in March 2018, when Corbyn was the Leader of the Labour Party, Labour MP Luciana Berger demanded an explanation. [15] Corbyn responded, "I sincerely regret that I did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on, the contents of which are deeply disturbing and anti-Semitic." [16] The revelation and Corbyn's response fuelled allegations that he was insensitive to antisemitism in the Labour Party; that, and other examples sparked protests, public debate and a number of internal reforms within the party. [5]

Graffiti critics

The mural received a mixed response from graffiti critics, with one expert describing it as “a rather naïve artwork [which] looked more like typical 1990s graffiti characters than anything from the Stürmer .” [17] The street art video-journalist Doug Gillen launched his career by filming the painting of the original mural in 2012. [18] In 2018 he produced a Vlog interview during which the Vice contributor J. S. Rafaeli described the work as “absolutely, unequivocally” antisemitic, although Gillen responded by claiming that when the mural was painted he “didn’t pick up on any intent of malice.” [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mear One</span> American graffiti artist

Mear One is an American artist and based in Los Angeles, known for his often-political and sometimes conspiracy theory-inspired street graffiti art. Mear One is associated with CBS and WCA crews. As a graphic designer, Mear One has designed apparel for Conart, Kaotic, as well as his own Reform brand. Mear One has designed album covers for musicians such as Non Phixion, Freestyle Fellowship, Alien Nation, Limp Bizkit, Visionaries, Busdriver and Daddy Kev.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewdas</span> Anti-Zionist Jewish organisation

Jewdas is a Jewish diaspora group based in London. It describes itself as a "radical Jewish diaspora group" and is described by media as far-left and anti-Zionist. It has a satirical-communal website and stages events in London and elsewhere.

Antisemitic incidents escalated worldwide in frequency and intensity during the Gaza War, and were widely considered to be a wave of reprisal attacks in response to the conflict.

The Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), known as Poale Zion (Great Britain) from 1903 to 2004, is one of the oldest socialist societies affiliated to the UK Labour Party. It is a member of the progressive coalition of Avodah/Meretz/Arzenu/Ameinu within the World Zionist Organization. Its sister parties are the Israeli Labor Party (Havodah) and Meretz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luciana Berger</span> British Labour politician

Luciana Clare Berger is a former British politician who served as Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree from 2010 to 2019. A member of the Labour and Co-operative parties, she was a founding member of The Independent Group, later Change UK, before joining the Liberal Democrats. Berger rejoined Labour in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Williamson (politician)</span> British politician (born 1956)

Christopher Williamson is a British politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Derby North from 2010 to 2015 and again from 2017 to 2019. He was Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government from October 2010 to October 2013. Williamson was previously a local councillor in Derby, representing the Normanton ward from 1991 until 2011 and serving twice as leader of Derby City Council.

British Jews have experienced antisemitism - discrimination and persecution as Jews - since a Jewish community was first established in England in 1070. They experienced a series of massacres in the Medieval period, which culminated in their expulsion from England in 1290. They were readmitted by Oliver Cromwell in 1655. By the 1800s, an increasing toleration of religious minorities gradually helped to eliminate legal restrictions on public employment and political representation. However, Jewish financiers were seen by some as holding disproportionate influence on British government policy, particularly concerning the British Empire and foreign affairs.

This article summarises the views and voting record of Jeremy Corbyn, who was the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom from 12 September 2015 until 4 April 2020. An independent, Corbyn was a member of the Labour Party from 1965 until his expulsion in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campaign Against Antisemitism</span> British non-governmental organisation

Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) is a British non-governmental organisation established in August 2014 by members of the Anglo-Jewish community. It conducts litigation, runs awareness-raising campaigns, organises rallies and petitions, provides education on antisemitism and publishes research.

The Chakrabarti Inquiry was a 2016 investigation into allegations of antisemitism and other forms of racism in the United Kingdom's Labour Party. Chaired by barrister Shami Chakrabarti, the inquiry was launched following comments made by two high-profile Labour figures, Naz Shah and Ken Livingstone, that some asserted were antisemitic in nature; Shah, a Member of parliament, and Livingstone, the former mayor of London, were subsequently suspended from the party pending an investigation. The inquiry presented its findings on 30 June 2016, stating that although antisemitism and other types of racism were not endemic within Labour, there was an "occasionally toxic atmosphere".

Marc Wadsworth is a British black rights campaigner, broadcast and print journalist and BBC filmmaker and radio producer. He founded the Anti-Racist Alliance in 1991 and two years later, also helped set up the justice campaign for murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence. Wadsworth launched an early citizen-journalism news portal, The-Latest.com. In 2008, Wadsworth's reporting triggered the resignation of Mayor of London Boris Johnson's spokesman.

Antisemitism within the Labour Party of the United Kingdom (UK) dates to its establishment. One early example is comments about "Jewish finance" during the Boer War. In the 2000s, controversies arose over comments by Labour politicians regarding an alleged "Jewish lobby", a comparison by Ken Livingstone of a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard, and a 2005 Labour attack on Jewish Conservative Party politician Michael Howard.

Dave Rich is Head of Policy at the Community Security Trust and is a leading expert on left-wing antisemitism, according to The Jewish Chronicle. He is an associate research fellow at the Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, where he completed his PhD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish Voice for Labour</span> British political organisation

Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) is a British organisation formed in 2017 for Jewish members of the Labour Party. Its aims include a commitment "to strengthen the party in its opposition to all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism ... to uphold the right of supporters of justice for Palestinians to engage in solidarity activities", and "to oppose attempts to widen the definition of antisemitism beyond its meaning of hostility towards, or discrimination against, Jews as Jews".

Jacqueline Walker is a British political activist and writer. She has been a teacher and anti-racism trainer. She is the author of a family memoir, Pilgrim State, and the co-writer and performer of a one-woman show, The Lynching. She held the roles of Vice-Chair of South Thanet Constituency Labour Party and Vice-Chair of Momentum before being suspended and ultimately expelled from the party for misconduct.

Peter Rupert William Willsman is a British political activist who was a member of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee and the secretary of the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy.

Labour Against the Witchhunt (LAW) was a group formed in late 2017 to campaign against what it regarded as politically motivated allegations of antisemitism in the UK Labour Party, which it called a "witchhunt". It also campaigned against what it regarded as unfair disciplinary action taken by the Labour Party against its members, particularly in relation to such allegations of antisemitism. The group supported individual members facing disciplinary action and called for changes to the party's disciplinary procedures and code of conduct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Merchant</span> Antisemitic caricature

The Happy Merchant is a common name for an image depicting an antisemitic caricature of a Jewish man. The image appears commonly on various websites where it is frequently used in hateful or disparaging contexts.

Jonathan Harry Samuel Arkush is a British barrister and Jewish community leader. Arkush served as the 47th President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews from 17 May 2015 to 13 May 2018.

Zionist as a pejorative or Zio is a term commonly used by "anti-Zionists" as described by academics, political parties and civil rights organizations as antisemitic, including but not limited to the American Jewish Committee (AJC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the British Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.

References

  1. ↑ Cohen, Ben (26 January 2021). "Freedom for Humanity:' A cautionary tale". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  2. ↑ "If you can't see antisemitism, it's time to open your eyes | Michael Segalov". the Guardian. 2018-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  3. ↑ JTA. "Corbyn regrets defending London mural he now says is anti-Semitic". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  4. 1 2 3 Brooke, Mike (3 October 2012). "Fury over Brick Lane's 'anti-Semitic' mural". The Docklands and East London Advertiser. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Watson apology over Corbyn mural post". BBC News. 2018-03-25. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  6. ↑ "Mear One's Brick Lane Street Art: Is Mural Anti-Semitic?". IBT News. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "Kalen Ockerman mural to be removed from Brick Lane". BBC News. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  8. ↑ Whitehouse, Geoff (8 Oct 2012). "Mear One's Brick Lane Street Art: Class and Societal Inequality Not Racial Hatred". International Business Times. Retrieved 13 Feb 2019.
  9. ↑ "A Note on "Mear One" And Jeremy Corbyn". March 26, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Mear One's mural – bad art and bad politics". Morning Star. April 4, 2018.
  11. ↑ Bernard, Katie (July 3, 2024). "Scott Perry posts, then deletes, antisemitic meme to campaign Facebook account". Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  12. ↑ Kassel, Matthew (June 28, 2024). "GOP congressman Scott Perry shares antisemitic meme on social media". Jewish Insider . Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  13. ↑ Merrick, Rob (23 March 2018). "Jeremy Corbyn forced to backtrack over apparent support for antisemitic mural". The Independent. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  14. 1 2 Dysch, Marcus (6 November 2015). "Did Jeremy Corbyn back artist whose mural was condemned as antisemitic?". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  15. ↑ Elliott, Francis (23 March 2018). "Labour MP Luciana Berger pressures Jeremy Corbyn over antisemitic mural". The Times. Retrieved 23 March 2018.(subscription required)
  16. ↑ "Corbyn 'regret' over anti-Semitic mural row". BBC News. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  17. ↑ Kaltenhäuser, Robert (2021). "Trolling is Solidarity. Urban Art at the Identitarian Intersection". In Häuser, Friederike (ed.). Graffiti: Interdisziplnäre und kontemporäre Perspektiven. Germany: Beltz Juventa. p. 143. ISBN   978-3-7799-6448-3.
  18. ↑ Wakim, Sami. "Interview with Doug Gillen of the Fifth Wall". Street Art United States. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  19. ↑ Gillen, Doug (22 May 2018). "Does Banksy Hate Jews? Street Art and Anti-Semitism". widewalls.ch.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.