The CEO of the Southbank Centre has apologized for the staff member who was wearing a Palestinian flag badge on her lanyard, which upset Jewish concert-goers at the Royal Festival Hall.

One visitor contacted UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) after a spat with the Southbank Centre staff member over her Palestine badge, as she entered the Royal Festival Hall for a concert last week.

UKLFI wrote to the Southbank Centre to pointing out that the display of a Palestinian flag on the Southbank staff’s uniform is obviously going to be upsetting and unnerving for any Jewish or Israeli customers, or colleagues, as it implies that the Southbank is supporting Palestine, against Israel and even backing Hamas, following the horrendous acts on 7 October 2023. The Southbank Centre was likely to be in breach of 29(3) of the Equality Act 2010 by creating an offensive environment for its Jewish or Israeli customers, and thereby harassing them. UKLFI asked the Southbank Centre to clarify whether such badges were allowed under their staff uniform guidelines.

Southbank Centre’s CEO, Elaine Bedell, responded to UKLFI’s letter and apologized to the visitor in question. She wrote:

“Southbank Centre has a clear uniform policy and the badges worn by our Visitor Assistant was not approved under this policy. As part of the initial investigation into this incident, the requirements of this uniform policy were made very clear to the Visitor Assistant, both immediately following this incident when the badge was removed and subsequently by their Head of department.

In July this year the requirements of our uniform policy including restrictions on wearing badges other than those which are work related were briefed to staff and to people managers across the organization. Following this incident we will be taking appropriate actions to reiterate the policy requirements further to staff.”

Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI commented: “We are grateful for to the Southbank Centre for acting quickly to remind its staff not to wear politically divisive items on their uniforms.”