Lord Austin Condemns Police Over 'Misunderstanding' of Controversial Art Exhibition
Lord Ian Austin, an independent peer in the House of Lords, has strongly criticised Kent Police for what he describes as a 'misunderstanding' regarding a controversial art exhibition in Margate. The exhibition, titled 'Drawings Against Genocide' by artist Matthew Collings, has been accused of depicting Jews as 'blood-soaked, baby-eating demons,' yet police concluded no laws were broken.
Graphic Content Sparks Outrage
The exhibition, staged at Joseph Wales Studios in Margate, features childlike drawings that have provoked widespread condemnation. One image shows grinning IDF soldiers standing over skulls and blood, while another portrays two auctioneers linked to Sotheby's—owned by French-Israeli billionaire Patrick Drahi—devouring babies with blood dripping from their mouths. A further work depicts Labour MP Lisa Nandy alongside cash and an Israeli flag, with speech bubbles stating: 'I am a Zionist' and 'I am paid by Israel.'
Critics argue the art draws on deeply offensive antisemitic stereotypes, leading to outrage from figures including actress Tracy-Ann Oberman, who called the images 'disgusting,' historian Simon Schama, who described them as 'appalling,' and politician Lord Michael Gove, who labelled the exhibition 'truly terrible.' Thanet District Council has since distanced itself from the event and apologised for any distress caused.
Police Decision Under Fire
Kent Police stated that the artwork 'did not meet the legal threshold' for a criminal offence and found no evidence of content 'directly abusive or insulting toward Jewish people.' They added there was 'no indication of an intent by the artist to stir up racial or religious hatred,' and it did not qualify as a non-crime hate incident, citing protection under freedom of expression laws.
However, Lord Austin lambasted this decision, telling the Daily Mail: 'It shows a quite remarkable Keystone Cops level of misunderstanding not to see this so-called art exhibition for what it really is, which is a shocking display of grotesque anti-Jewish hatred.' He questioned whether officers missed a poster at the entrance stating: 'Antisemitic art exhibition this way,' and expressed alarm that police considered the artwork 'perfectly fine.'
Artist's Defence and Further Criticism
Matthew Collings, 70, has defended his work as a commentary on Zionism rather than antisemitism, dismissing the backlash as 'Zionist nonsense.' He claimed in online posts that the controversy stems from conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
Yet, Alex Hearn from Labour Against Antisemitism argued: 'That a police force believes depicting Jews as manipulating the media and eating babies alive are "criticism of Israel," shows how urgently intervention is needed. Blood-soaked hate scrawls about Jews featuring swastikas and 'the lobby' controlling the government are not legitimate politics.'
Incident at the Exhibition
Writer Zoe Strimpel reported feeling shaken after allegedly being shouted at by Collings and surrounded by others when she challenged the pieces. She detailed an aggressive exchange where Collings yelled at her, accusing her of repeating 'hasbarah talking points' and defending genocide. The crowd booed and closed in on her, leading Strimpel to say, 'fine, get the Jew out.' She later made a formal complaint to police, who found no criminal offences.
This incident underscores the deep divisions and emotional responses the exhibition has ignited, with Lord Austin and others calling for better police training and a reassessment of how such cases are handled to prevent similar controversies in the future.
