A pro-Palestinian activist who pursued and harassed Matt Lucas as the comedian attempted to exit the London Underground has now been dismissed from his employment due to the controversial incident. Thomas Bourne, a 39-year-old Islamic convert who operates under the social media alias 'White British Muslim', approached the 51-year-old Jewish entertainer last month after identifying him on an escalator.
Confrontation Captured on Camera
Bourne recorded himself pestering Lucas, seemingly targeting him solely based on his Jewish heritage. However, the footage he uploaded online garnered significantly more condemnation than support. It has now been confirmed that Bourne has lost his position as a fundraising consultant directly as a consequence of this episode.
Unrepentant Stance in Interview
In a discussion with the sympathetic online outlet PoliticsJoe, Bourne displayed little remorse for the harassment. He appeared to imply that Lucas initiated the confrontation by disapproving of his attire. Bourne recounted, "I was ascending the escalator and glanced to my side, noticing someone giving me an uncomfortable, even hostile look, and I realized it was Matt Lucas."
He continued, "My immediate reaction—as anyone's would be who intended to confront someone—was to retrieve my camera phone and shout 'Free Palestine! Free Palestine!' As a direct result of that video and a subsequent Daily Mail article, I actually lost my job."
Details of the Harassment
The video depicted the 6'11" fundraising consultant from East London yelling "Free Palestine" at the Little Britain star. Bourne proceeded to taunt Lucas, inquiring, "You don't like what I'm wearing, do you?"—a reference to his keffiyeh. He then questioned the comedian, "You've got a problem with Palestinians, Matt?" to which a taken-aback Lucas simply replied, "No."
As Lucas departed, Bourne accused him of being a "Zionist," though the activist later claimed he attempted "to be the bigger man" by "walking away" after the altercation.
Claims of Ignorance Regarding Heritage
During the interview, Bourne was queried, "How aware of Matt Lucas's background were you prior to that altercation?" He responded, "Absolutely no awareness of his background at all except I knew he was in a show quite a few years ago, Little Britain. He was also in Come Fly With Me and when I was really little… he was in a show called Shooting Stars."
Bourne added, "That's literally all I knew about him, I didn't know anything else about him at all. I mean I don't know who would." When a friend informed him the video was trending on Twitter and that Lucas was Jewish, Bourne told PoliticsJoe, "My heart absolutely sunk and I thought 'Oh no, this is not good' because I could already picture in my head how this could be framed and how this could be interpreted, and the ramifications around that. So I immediately deleted the video knowing this could have bad ramifications."
Background and Aftermath
Bourne emphasized, "I’m being labelled as an anti-semite and that simply isn't true. The whole interaction with Matt Lucas was nothing to do with religion or anything like that because I simply didn't know he was Jewish at the time." He noted he comes from a Jewish background, including Jewish cousins, and was "really worried" about how the incident would be "interpreted."
Following the video's viral spread last month, the Mail investigated Bourne's background, revealing he has become a recognizable figure among pro-Palestinian protest groups in London, frequently photographed at rallies and once with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. It was disclosed that he was born Thomas Edward Oliver Heather and selected his new surname as a homage to the fictional spy Jason Bourne, portrayed by Matt Damon in the film series.
Character Descriptions and Reactions
According to acquaintances, the aspiring action hero is described as a "clown" who "leaves a trail of destruction and chaos." An estranged family member informed the Daily Mail, "It does not surprise me that he has done something stupid. If I ever see him again, it will be too soon."
After the Palestine Action ban last summer, which has since been deemed unlawful, Bourne pledged to persist with the group's activities. Campaigning outside the Royal Courts of Justice as the ban was enforced in July, the protester affirmed he would "absolutely" continue his support for the group, even if it became proscribed. He stated, "Absolutely, with all of my heart. I am sure everyone here would also. No one is listening to us and the government is proscribing them."
Subsequent to the clip of Bourne accosting Lucas going viral, he promptly removed his Instagram accounts.
