Harry Potter Store Opens on Oxford Street as Protesters Gather Outside
Fans queuing for London's new Harry Potter store on Wednesday were met by protesters urging them to reconsider supporting the franchise. Variety reports that six demonstrators gathered outside the shop as it opened on 4 November.
The store sits at The Ribbon development at 134-140 Oxford Street. It is billed as the UK's largest official Harry Potter store, with 21,000 square feet of space over two floors. Its design is inspired by Diagon Alley, the wizarding street in the books and films.
The protesters carried signs reading "protect trans lives" and "stop funding trans erasure". They used megaphones to chant "trans rights are human rights".
The protest is aimed at J.K. Rowling, the author of the novels. Rowling serves as an executive producer on HBO's new Harry Potter television adaptation. She has previously made online posts raising concerns about transgender women being allowed into single-sex spaces. She has said her comments about sex were not intended to offend the transgender community.
The adaptation stars John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Another Harry Potter event is also drawing attention. Oxford Street's Christmas lights switch-on, with a Harry Potter theme, is scheduled for 9 November. Variety describes the display as a promotional tie-in with HBO's series. The young stars of the show will not attend the switch-on. PinkNews reported that HBO had pulled the young cast from the event amid fears of protest.
A petition by the Good Law Project, a campaign group, has gathered more than 11,000 signatures. It calls for the festive display to be cancelled.
Protest has also followed the franchise in the West End. In February, transgender activists demonstrated outside London's Palace Theatre, where a Harry Potter play is running, and wrote messages in chalk, according to Reuters.
For shoppers, the store is now open. For the switch-on, the date is 9 November, and the petition's signatures will be watched as that day approaches.
