J.K. Rowling’s agent Neil Blair has slammed the transgender rights activists who staged a dramatic protest before a gala performance of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” on Thursday in London’s West End.
The protesters, many wearing masks, hats and goggles to hide their identity, stormed the red carpet as celebrities were arriving for a new shortened version of the show at the Palace Theatre. The activists, one with a T-shirt stating “Rowling money kills,” lay on the red carpet before they were dragged off by security guards.
In a statement provided to Variety, Blair said, “We respect peaceful activism and the right to express different views. But those rights must be exercised without putting others at risk, including audience members, performers and theater staff, as we saw [Thursday] evening during the protests outside the Palace Theatre in London ahead of the gala performance of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.’”
He added, “Above all, we want to continue bringing the magic of Harry Potter to the wonderful fans who have supported and embraced this world for so many years. Every fan deserves to enjoy the magic of Harry Potter in an atmosphere of respect and security, and we remain committed to keeping live theater a welcoming and safe experience for everyone.”
Local celebrities in attendance for the special performance included TV hosts Vanessa Feltz, Angellica Bell and Richard Arnold, and “The Chase” star Anne Hegerty.
The show, originally in two parts, has been reconfigured to become a single-part performance lasting almost three hours.
Rowling has been vocal in her criticism of self-declared gender identity, and this has led to allegations that she is transphobic, which she has strongly denied. She has previously said she respects “every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them.”
In a statement sent to Variety by the Guild of Angry Transsexuals, a group that claimed to have organized the protest, one of the protestors, Thea, said, “We took action to make attendees of Rowling’s ‘Cursed Child’ [aware] that by continuing to fund her media and entertainment empire, they directly fund the legal attack on trans people, their rights and private lives.”