One person was arrested during a protest over an event involving a drag queen at Tate Britain on Saturday. The individual was arrested on suspicion of making a racially aggravated comment toward a police officer, according to the Guardian.
That day, Tate was hosting a children’s event called Drag Queen Story Hour UK with Aida H Dee, who is described on the gallery’s website as “the first drag artist in Europe to read stories to children in a nursery.”
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A right-wing group protesting the event outside the museum was met with counter-protesters led by trans-rights campaigners and political groups including Stand Up to Racism.
Officers formed a corridor so attendees could enter and exit the venue. No injuries were reported, according to the police force.
On Twitter, Dee wrote that the day had been “proper emotional” and explained that five protestors had made it inside Tate, but they did not impact the readings.
This is not the first time the drag queen has been the target of protesters. Last month, a conservative politician penned an open letter to the Tate’s board of trustees denouncing the museum’s decision to invite a drag queen to perform to a children’s group.
“We do not programme artists in order to promote particular points of view, nor to reconcile differing points of view,” a spokesperson for Tate said. “Our galleries offer a broad programme and visitors have the freedom to choose which aspects of it they engage with.”
Source: artnews.com