Campaigners say celebrities quit British Museum event after climate and pro-Palestine pressure

Campaigners have hailed the apparent withdrawal of several celebrities from a committee helming a fundraising ball for the British Museum, crediting scrutiny over its ties to British Petroleum (BP) and the involvement of companies linked to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The British Museum denied that the pullouts were connected to the campaign or criticism of the museum and event.

A coalition of pro-Palestine and climate justice groups, including Energy Embargo for Palestine (EEFP) and Culture Unstained, wrote to members of the committee calling for them to withdraw, citing the British Museum’s long-running partnership with BP.

They said the company is “complicit in and profiting from the ongoing genocide in Gaza and climate breakdown”.

In a post on Instagram on Wednesday, EEFP reported that Elba, fashion designer Bella Freud and author Zadie Smith had been removed from the list of committee members for the event. 

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