Jimmy Carr: Protesters call for apology outside Dunstable gig

A group of protesters outside a Jimmy Carr gig called for him to apologise for his comments about the Holocaust.

The comedian has come under fire for saying "nobody talks about the positives" in reference to the Nazi murders of thousands of people from the Roma, Sinti and traveller communities.

The Luton Roma Trust held placards outside the Grove Theatre in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, before Tuesday's show.

Carr has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment.

The comedian's comments featured in his Netflix special, His Dark Material, and before telling the joke, he tells the audience it "should be a career ender".

He has since said the joke had an "educational quality".

The chief executive of Hope Not Hate, an anti-fascism and anti-racism campaign group, has written a letter to Netflix UK asking for a public apology and for the clip to removed from the platform.

In the letter, Nick Lowles said broadcasting the joke about Roma and Gypsies was "reprehensible".

"The fact that Jimmy Carr felt it was appropriate to make a joke out of hundreds of thousands of Gypsies murdered in the Holocaust, and that this joke passed Netflix's editorial process, is a reflection of the prejudice that exists and is ignored."

Crina Morteanu, from the Luton Roma Trust, was one of a small group outside the theatre and said that the charity wanted him to ensure he would "never ever repeat this joke in any of his performances from now".

She added that if an apology was not forthcoming they were "very much convinced that we need to take legal action".

"He is actually inciting to hate and inciting to violence which is completely unacceptable in this country," she said.

"If he doesn't apologise then it means he did not understand why we are here today and we need to make a bigger effort."

Some ticketholders at the Grove said they had waited two years to see Carr at the theatre due to it being postponed because of Covid, and were not put off by the comment.

One told the BBC: "You don't have to listen to it, it's a joke, it's not personal."

Ms Morteanu said she was "disappointed" with the audience's reaction.

"I don't think many of them understand why we are here today," she said.

"If they take it as a joke that's a serious matter."

After Tuesday's show, BBC Three Counties Radio reporter Justin Dealey asked Carr if he was going to apologise, but he did not respond.

The Grove Theatre said Carr's tour management had assured them the show did not repeat any material from the Netflix special.

"The booking was made long before the recent comments came to light," a statement said.

"We do not condone the comments made by Mr Carr.

"As a receiving house theatre [a venue which does not have its own productions], the Grove has no direct control of artistic content, but we have spoken at length with the production company."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]