Pro-Palestine activists seize British Museum's Great Hall over sponsor's settlement ties
Activists from Energy Embargo for Palestine occupied the British Museum's Great Hall during the Bayeux Tapestry opening to protest billionaire Igor Tulchinsky's funding of a settlement and the museum's links to BP.
During the opening of the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, members of Energy Embargo for Palestine entered the British Museum's Great Hall to demand the removal of billionaire Igor Tulchinsky as a sponsor. Tulchinsky's recent funding of a community centre in Efrat, an illegal Israeli settlement now subject to UK sanctions, sparked the protest. Demonstrators also targeted the museum's partnership with BP, urging a severance of all ties and the formation of a democratic, staff-run committee to vet future collaborations.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski called on the British government to investigate the museum's sponsorship arrangements. Lila Azad criticized the museum for continuing to work with figures linked to settlements despite sanctions. The activists plan to unveil a "People's Tapestry" created with the Camden People’s Museum and Camden Friends of Palestine to showcase a community-driven view of history.
Why it matters
The protest highlights growing pressure on cultural institutions to scrutinize funding sources tied to contested geopolitical issues.
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