A London council has cancelled a Holocaust Memorial Day event at one of its venues where a member of the controversial Jewish Voice For Labour (JVL) had been due to speak.
Glyn Secker, who once defended Ken Livingstone over his comments about Hitler "supporting" Zionism, had been due to speak on Monday in Shadwell, east London, at the event Never Again: Lessons of the Holocaust, which was organised by the controversial Stand Up To Racism (STUR) group.
But Tower Hamlets Council, which runs the Shadwell Centre venue, said on Thursday the event had been cancelled "after careful consideration".
Good evening, apologies for the delay in getting back to you. After careful consideration a decision has been taken to cancel this event booking. Thanks
— Tower Hamlets Council (@TowerHamletsNow) January 23, 2020
Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman welcomed the decision, saying that "one of the proposed speakers... has a track record of attacking the Jewish community".
She said: "We are grateful to the local authority for cancelling the booking in response to the intervention by the Board of Deputies and concerns of the wider Jewish community.
"Furthermore, Mayor John Biggs has promised to review booking processes."
Mr Secker has been approached for comment.
STUR is widely considered to be a front for the Socialist Workers’ Party (SWP), whose leadership came under intense fire in 2013 over rape allegations.
Last May, the JC filmed Mr Secker telling a crowd at a pro-Palestine demo in central London saying that “Jewish leaders here… turn a blind eye to the extreme right, even when their own Zionist Federation embraces the English Defence League, a neo-fascist group banned by Facebook.
“What on earth are Jews doing in the gutter with these rats?”
