More trouble at the Whitworth…
JVL Introduction
Last August we reported on the censorship row at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester. We believed it had been satisfactorily resolved.
But no. As some will know from a recent Guardian article, reposted below, the director of the prestigious Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, Alistair Hudson, is under sustained pressure by his employer, the University of Manchester, to resign.
This is because of his role in the Whitworth’s hosting of the “Forensic Architechture” exhibition last year –– a stunning audiovisual display that graphically illustrated the environmental and human destruction caused across the world by a rampaging corporate capitalism, including in Palestine.
It appears that the university has come under pressure from the pro-Israel group UK Lawyers for Israel because, as a result of massive protests, UKLFI failed to get the university to censor that exhibition as “antisemitic” (because of its graphic portrayal of the horrendous consequences of Israel’s oppression of Palestinians).
There is a campaign of solidarity which has been mounted in defence of Alistair Hudson by his supporters and which is rapidly gathering signatures.
Please sign and share so as to compel the University to retreat once again and ensure that Alastair Hudson keeps his job.
You will find the petition here and a recent report on Mondoweiss here.
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See also this letter from 25 artists participating in the British Art Show 9 which is due to tour to Manchester in May, who have withdrawn their work from the exhibtion when it appears there.
This article was originally published by the Guardian on Tue 22 Feb 2022. Read the original here.
Whitworth gallery director Alistair Hudson forced out over Palestinian statement
Exclusive: Manchester University accused of ‘stifling debate’ in its response to UK Lawyers For Israel complaints about exhibition
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Demonstrate against this action, 1pm, Tuesday 1st March, Manchester University Arches. Organised by Barakah Food Aid.
Forgive me if I misread this article …
I thought we were being asked to use the link given to sign a new UPDATED petition? I’ve clicked on the link and it hasn’t taken me to the new petition or to anywhere I can sign it.
[Clicking on the link should take you here – https://www.change.org/p/university-of-manchester-rescindyourpressure-for-alistair-hudson-s-resignation – where there is a petition to sign… It’s the latest link we have been sent. We will update it if we receive a link to a later petition… JVL web]
I begin to think that Jesus would be defined as antisemitic by some definers. Discuss.
All this nonsense from UKLFI must be a sure way of breeding anti-semitism amongst the British population at large. Israel is a rogue state which does not conform to human rights practices of most decent human beings. Nit-picking doesn’t help their cause, people will just say: “To hell with them, to hell with the lot of them.”
Under no circumstances should Alistair Hudson resign from his post of Director at the Whitworth Art Gallery.
It appears that UKLFI have a track record of this sort of bullying behaviour.
Their attempts to close down freedom of debate and artistic freedom tell us more about UKLFI than about those who they are attempting to intimidate.
We must stand by Alistair Hudson.
We must recognise and applaud his courage and show Manchester University that Hudson’s academic and artistic integrity has wide support.
Manchester University must recognise that if they retreat in the face of bullying, then they will never stop running.
Signed now, thanks.
I used to enjoy a stroll around the Whitworth, but I’ll never set foot in the building again if they force the guy out. Petition signed.
The University has been accused of being “unethical”
by the Museums Association for its actions .
The first few paragraphs of a Times report on this are
available at:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/university-of-manchester-alistair-hudson-forced-out-over-israel-exhibition-vn0nqqb0f
(The rest is behind a paywall.)
“The group said the exhibition included inaccuracies” I would be interested to learn if UKLFI presented evidence of those inaccuracies. It would be a little ironic if a group of lawyers made a claim without evidence.
Why do people support a foul,racist murderous, land stealing regime that is illegally occupying Palestine? And those who are against these atrocities get penalised?
Today’s “Guardian” says 100 (University of Manchester staff?) have signed a letter saying Alastair Hudson musn’t be forced out and protesting against the silencing of Palestinians’ voices and experiences at the behest of those supporting the Israeli government and occupation.