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Edinburgh venue accepts it discriminated against Jewish comedian Philip Simon when it cancelled show
The venue conceded it breached the Equality Act after cancelling Philip Simon’s Fringe show, and the court will decide costs later Monday.
- On Monday, the Banshee Labyrinth admitted in Edinburgh Sheriff Court that it discriminated against comedian Philip Simon by cancelling his 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, 'Shall I Compere Thee In A Funny Way.'
- Management cancelled the performance, claiming Simon's social media posts "align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations" regarding views on Palestine and Gaza.
- Flagged posts included an AI-generated image and references to the release of 1,800 Palestinians, while Simon stated he was cancelled "just for being Jewish" and faced "unlawful belief-based discrimination."
- Following the venue's concession, liability was resolved in Simon's favour; his lawyer, David Welsh, criticized the venue's "conduct," saying it had "dragged out proceedings" despite knowing the defence was "untenable."
- Judge Sheriff Roderick Flinn stated the venue acted "unreasonably" by waiting until August 5 to admit discrimination; the court will later assess "avoidable expenses at every stage" incurred by Simon.
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14 Articles
Edinburgh Fringe Festival venue admits discriminating cancelled Jewish comedian
A venue has admitted discriminating against a Jewish comedian when it cancelled his show at least year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe.Philip Simon, a stand-up comedian, was set to perform his show "Shall I Compere Thee In A Funny Way" at the Banshee Labyrinth, on the city's Niddry Street.But the venue cancelled his show, claiming it was because of his views on the Gaza conflict.In a statement given at the time to industry magazine Chortle, the venu…
·London, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left4Leaning Right4Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution34% Left, 33% Center, 33% Right
Bias Distribution
- 34% of the sources lean Left, 33% of the sources are Center, 33% of the sources lean Right
34% Left
L 34%
C 33%
R 33%
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