Council to put Palestine refugee mural back up

A mural which sparked controversy over claims it was antisemitic will be put back on display, a local authority has said.

The artwork, created by young Palestinian refugees in 2012, was removed from Tynemouth Metro station in October 2023 following defacement threats.

A row ensued between councillors, academics and campaign groups over whether to reinstall it.

North Tyneside Council said there was a "broad consensus" it should be put back up with "additional information" about its history, but when and where has not been decided.

The "friendship" mural depicts octopuses, as well as other animals and cartoon figures.

Councillor Liam Bones, Conservative, previously told the BBC he had been warned by the Campaign Against Antisemitism that octopuses could be seen as an antisemitic trope, and called on the Labour-led local authority not to reinstate the mural.

Octopus imagery has been used in the past, including in Nazi propaganda, to imply Jewish control of society.

Campaign Against Antisemitism declined to comment.

A group of North East Jewish academics had sent a letter to councillors which insisted the mural was not antisemitic and called for it to be put back up.

Newcastle University lecturer Dr Ellie Azoulay, one of the signatories, said the local authority had really "dragged their feet" over the issue.

She said the fact the council had not given any timeframes about the mural's installation or confirmed where exactly it would be put on display was "not good enough".

Councillor Lewis Bartoli, Conservative, said he did not believe it was the role of "civic art" to be "challenging" or "potentially offensive".

He said if the art had to be put back up, it should be put in a location where people "have the choice to go and see it, rather than a public space where you have no choice".

North Tyneside Council said it had engaged with a "broad range of community groups" with some saying the mural could play an "important role" in highlighting the region's diversity.

"We are working with all groups involved, including one of the original artists, to determine where the mural will be located and what additional information can be provided as part of its reinstatement," a spokesperson said.

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