Protestors with drums and a Romani flag last night turned up outside a Jimmy Carr gig chanting ‘roll up, roll up, see the racist’ amid the continued fury at the comedian’s Netflix Holocaust joke.
Around 100 protestors were filmed standing outside Cambridge’s Corn Exchange yesterday evening ahead of the stand-up star’s appearance at the venue.
The group were heard banging a drum and shouting ‘Jimmy Carr shame on you’ as they held banners and placards with messages such as ‘mass murder in the Holocaust is no joke’.
And in another video an Irish traveller is seen threatening to ‘f***ing lay out’ a gig attendee as the protests became heated.
It comes after the comedian was widely criticised for his joke about Gypsies and the Holocaust.
During a segment of his comedy Netflix special ‘His Dark Material’, Carr said: ‘When people talk about the Holocaust…’ at which the audience gasped and he looked down at them, nodding.
The 49-year-old continued: ‘When people talk about the Holocaust, they talk about the tragedy and horror of six million Jewish lives being lost to the Nazi war machine.
‘But they never mention the thousands of Gypsies that were killed by the Nazis.
‘No one ever wants to talk about that, because no one ever wants to talk about the positives.’
The joke was condemned by traveller groups, who labeled it as ‘racist’. Prior to Wednesday’s Cambridge gig it was announced Carr would leave the controversial gag out of his live comedy show.
Dozens of protestors were filmed standing outside Cambridge’s Corn Exchange yesterday evening ahead of his appearance at the venue
The group were heard banging a drum and shouting ‘Jimmy Carr shame on you’ as they held banners and placards with messages such as ‘mass murder in the Holocaust is no joke’
During a segment of his comedy Netflix special ‘His Dark Material’, Carr said: ‘When people talk about the Holocaust…’ at which the audience gasped and he looked down at them, nodding.
During one heated moment in last night’s protest, one Irish traveller threatened to ‘f***ing lay out’ a Jimmy Carr gig attendee.
What did Jimmy Carr say in his controversial Gypsy joke?
During a segment of his comedy Netflix special ‘His Dark Material’, Carr said: ‘When people talk about the Holocaust…’ at which the audience gasped and he looked down at them, nodding.
The 49-year-old continued: ‘When people talk about the Holocaust, they talk about the tragedy and horror of six million Jewish lives being lost to the Nazi war machine.
During a segment of his comedy Netflix special ‘His Dark Material’, Carr said: ‘When people talk about the Holocaust…’ at which the audience gasped and he looked down at them, nodding
‘But they never mention the thousands of Gypsies that were killed by the Nazis.
‘No one ever wants to talk about that, because no one ever wants to talk about the positives.’
Video footage shows a protestor and lorry driver clashing ahead of Carr’s comedy show in Cambridge last night.
Dressed in a red gilet, Irish traveller Martin Ward, 30, shouts ‘Don’t get in my face, I’ll f***ing lay you out’.
A woman out of shot can be heard shouting ‘Freedom of speech means listening’.
Ward responds: ‘Freedom of speech? F*** off you racist animal.
‘Go on, Jimmy Carr, f*** off. Go on you racist people. You’re racist people.
‘Why don’t you go and run a story about Jimmy Carr avoiding the taxman, why don’t you do that, and talking about raping children.’
Filming himself on his phone, Jamie Kidman, 37, remains silent throughout the exchange and can be seen rolling his eyes.
Speaking last night, the lorry driver from Cambridgeshire told a reporter: ‘The joke is just words. It’s freedom of speech.
‘I don’t diss these people [protestors] here. It’s just a joke mate.’
The tense clash came as around 50 protestors descended on Cambridge Corn Exchange ahead of Carr’s sold-out gig.
Carr, 49, was accused by some critics of being racist after he joked that the death of thousands of gypsies was a ‘positive’ of the Nazi Holocaust in his Netflix show ‘His Dark Material’.
Carr had assured city councillors that no material from the show would be used at last night’s gig.
But anti-racism protestors crowded outside the venue with banners reading ‘The only death I’m laughing at is Jimmy Carr’s career’ and ‘Genocide is not a subject for mockery’.
Around a dozen demonstrators formed a tunnel at the venue’s entrance and handed leaflets about the Holocaust to gig attendees as they went inside.
Chants of ‘Roll up, roll up see the racist’ and ‘It’s no laughing matter’ were shouted through a speaker outside the building.
Around a dozen demonstrators formed a tunnel at the venue’s entrance and handed leaflets about the Holocaust to gig attendees as they went inside
Chants of ‘Roll up, roll up see the racist’ and ‘It’s no laughing matter’ were shouted through a speaker outside the building
Martin, who is the nephew of bare-knuckle boxer Paddy Doherty and cousin of X-Factor winner Shayne Ward, travelled 70 miles from his home in Kent to attend the protest. Pictured: Protesters outside the Corn Exchange
Martin, who is the nephew of bare-knuckle boxer Paddy Doherty and cousin of X-Factor winner Shayne Ward, travelled 70 miles from his home in Kent to attend the protest.
He said last night: ‘I think everyone should be ashamed of themselves for going to this gig.
‘Jimmy Carr’s joke was a disgrace. It’s pushing the level too far.
‘They should have cancelled the show. I get that it’s freedom of speech but you’ve got to know what you’re talking about before you say that.’
Another protestor, Tony Booth, 77, who is Jewish, said: ‘The joke is worse than Holocaust denial – it’s saying it did happen and it was a good thing.
‘Free speech has its limits. How will the audience react to that joke? They may find a traveller and beat them up.
‘I don’t think the show should have gone ahead.
Around a dozen demonstrators formed a tunnel at the venue’s entrance and handed leaflets about the Holocaust to gig attendees as they went inside
Another protestor, Tony Booth, 77, who is Jewish, said: ‘The joke is worse than Holocaust denial – it’s saying it did happen and it was a good thing.’ Pictured: Protestors hold up a banner
Protestors gathered outside of a Jimmy Carr comedy show in Cambridge last night
‘If the joke was about Jews he never would have worked again. He’s picked on travellers because he can get away with it.’
Prior to the show, Carr’s management is said to have ‘assured’ Cambridge city councillors that no material from the show will feature at the gig.
Cllr Anna Smith said: ‘I share the outrage felt by so many in Cambridge and beyond, regarding these unacceptable remarks. Genocide is not a subject for mockery.
‘As a council, we are committed to working with and supporting marginalized communities, including our Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.’
Cambridge City Council vowed to light up the outside of the Corn Exchange in the colours of the Romani flag – red, green and blue – ahead of Carr’s show.
Meanwhile, prior to the event, Cambridge Stand Up To Racism wrote on Facebook: ‘We need to inform him [Carr] that his vile racist jokes are not welcome in Cambridge.
‘Our GRT communities are being battered by our government and we can’t allow this further outrage to go by unmarked.’
David Baddiel, 57, was among swathes of other people to slam Carr over the gag.
Mr Baddiel said: ‘You can obviously tell a Holocaust joke that is cruel and inhumane and mean-spirited and racist.
My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty has called for police to probe Carr’s joke about gypsies killed in the Holocaust
‘Or you can tell one that targets the oppressors, or draws attention to the fundamental evil of it, or shines and light on the humanity of the victims.
‘It’s not the subject matter of the joke that counts, it’s the specifics of the individual joke. Clearly, Jimmy Carr’s was the former.’
Elsewhere, alongside Mr Baddiel, Irish traveller and bare-knuckle boxer Paddy Doherty condemned Mr Carr’s joke.
He said the ‘disgusting’ gag was an insult to the 1.5 million gypsies killed in death camps.
He told the Sunday Mirror: ‘He should be investigated by the police.
‘That wasn’t a joke. He’s talking about mass murder being a positive – would he be allowed to say this about black people killed by the Ku Klux Klan?
‘There’s a level you don’t go to. More than a million of my people were killed.’
The joke was condemned by Labour MPs including Labour’s Nadia Whittome and David Lammy who described it as ‘despicable’.
And Conservative MP and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries told BBC News that the gag was ‘abhorrent’.
It is estimated that between 200,000 and 500,000 Roma and Sinti people were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
The joke also sparked outrage from various traveller charities and anti-hate groups after the clip was shared on social media.
In a tweet referencing the joke, The Traveller Movement – a charity supporting the traveller community in the UK, said: ‘This is truly disturbing and goes way beyond humour. We need all your support in calling this out #StopTravellerHate @StopFundingHate.’
The charity launched a petition to Netflix calling for the ‘removal of the segments of His Dark Material which celebrates the Romani genocide’.
Conservative MP and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries (pictured) told BBC News that the gag was ‘abhorrent’
Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE, Chief Executive of Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, added: ‘We are absolutely appalled at Jimmy Carr’s comment about persecution suffered by Roma and Sinti people under Nazi oppression, and horrified that gales of laughter followed his remarks.
‘Hundreds of thousands of Roma and Sinti people suffered prejudice, slave labour, sterilisation and mass murder simply because of their identity – these are not experiences for mockery.
‘The widespread ignorance of this recent history needs to be addressed and we urge everyone to learn more about the past and the experiences of Roma people today.
‘Roma and Sinti people still face dreadful prejudice as this incident shows. Please show your support by learning more, challenging hateful comments like these, and following accounts such as Roma Support Group, The Traveller Movement, and Friends, Families and Travellers.’
