Latest news with #Piccadilly
Telegraph
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Vanessa Feltz: ‘I was chased down the street because I am Jewish'
Broadcaster Vanessa Feltz has revealed she was chased through the streets by a pro-Palestine activist who hurled anti-Semitic abuse at her. Feltz, 63, said a 'white man' tried to whip up fellow protesters after spotting her heading from work while he screamed 'fascist Zionist scum' at her with his speaker. The broadcaster feared she was set to become the victim of a mob attack before a female stranger intervened and told her to run for the Tube. Speaking on her LBC show on Friday, Feltz said: 'I'll tell you what happened to me not long ago. Often when I arrive here at Global, which is in Leicester Square, my arrival coincides with, as I walk along Piccadilly, one of the pro-Palestinian or pro-Gazan marches. 'But there was no march that week and when I came out of the building at six o'clock when the show was finished, there was a protest going on in Piccadilly. 'I was walking to get to the Tube station when suddenly I heard very, very loudly, 'Vanessa Feltz, Vanessa Feltz, fascist Zionist scum'. 'I wheeled round and there was a guy, he looked like a white guy to me, not that I know what his origin was, and he was chasing me, screaming into a megaphone and chasing me shouting. 'I'm a grandma, I'm 63-years-old, I've never been an athlete, I was wearing wedge shoes and carrying a handbag, and I thought, Oh my God, I can't run and if he catches me what will you do to me, is he going to beat me up?' Feltz revealed her ordeal when she was discussing Diane Abbott's claims that Jewish people do not suffer the same racism as black people. Feltz, speaking to Royal Holloway politics lecturer Michael Bankole, said: 'I'm only saying it because that's what I was called in the street. Obviously it wasn't because of the colour of my skin but it was because I'm known to be Jewish.' Ms Abbott was suspended from Labour again last week after she defended her 2023 comments about racism. The veteran MP apologised and was readmitted to the party before the 2024 general election, but in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Reflections programme last week, she said she did not look back on the incident with regret. Ms Abbott said: 'Clearly, there must be a difference between racism, which is about colour, and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know. 'You don't know unless you stop to speak to them or you're in a meeting with them. But if you see a black person walking down the street, you see straight away that they're black. They are different types of racism. 'I just think that it's silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism.'
Daily Mail
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Thug with loudhailer chases Vanessa Feltz through the street yelling 'fascist Zionist scum'
Vanessa Feltz has revealed a female stranger came to her rescue after a pro-Palestinian protester chased her through the street, abusing her over a loudhailer just because she is Jewish. The broadcaster said the 'white man' tried to whip up fellow protesters after spotting her heading home from work and screamed 'fascist Zionist scum' at her over his speaker. Feltz, 63, feared she was set to become the victim of a mob until the stranger intervened and told her to run for the Tube. She revealed the frightening recent incident for the first time as she discussed Diane Abbott's claims that Jewish people don't suffer the same racism as black people. The veteran MP was suspended from Labour again last week after defending her previous comments about racism, which had led to a year-long suspension. She apologised at the time and was readmitted back into the party before the 2024 General Election, but she doubled down on her claim Jewish people experience racism differently to black people in a recent new letter. Speaking on her LBC show yesterday, Ms Feltz said: 'I'll just tell you what happened to me not long ago. Very often when I arrive here at Global, which is in Leicester Square, my arrival coincides with, as I walk along Piccadilly, one of the pro-Palestinian or pro-Gazan marches. 'But there was no march that week and when I came out of the building at six o'clock when the show was finished, there was a protest going on in Piccadilly. 'I was walking to get to the Tube station when suddenly I heard very, very loudly, 'Vanessa Feltz, Vanessa Feltz, fascist Zionist scum'. 'I wheeled round and there was a guy, he looked like a white guy to me, not that I know what his origin was, and he was chasing me, screaming into a megaphone and chasing me shouting 'fascist, Zionist scum'. 'I'm a grandma, I'm 63 years old, I've never been an athlete, I was wearing wedge shoes and carrying a handbag, and I thought, 'Oh my God, I can't run and if he catches me what will you do to me, is he going to beat me up?' 'And also, 'are other people going to join him, what's going to happen to me?'' She recalled how at that point a woman came to her aid and stood between Ms Feltz and the man, shouting at her to run. Ms Feltz told listeners: 'She said, 'Go on Vanessa, you run' – not that I can run. But anyway I sort of waddled off in the other direction. I heard from her afterwards on Instagram – she just DM'ed me, 'Are you ok?'' Ms Feltz was speaking to Michael Bankole, politics lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, whose research looks at racism and political representation. She added: 'I'm only saying it because that's what I was called in the street.
American Press
19-07-2025
- Business
- American Press
Jim Beam column:Remembering the Piccadilly
The lines at the former Piccadilly cafeterias in Lake Charles are long gone, but the memories of the favorite establishments have been reawakened.(Photo courtesy of Tripadvisor). What do you think of when you think of Piccadilly? The Advocate in a Thursday story about the once famous cafeteria chain asked that question right off the bat, and it brought back some pleasant memories. My family years ago headed straight for the Piccadilly cafeteria on Ryan Street right after church when our two children were youngsters. Jamie and Bryan weren't happy about having to stand in the always-long lines of churchgoers, but the wait was always worth it. We also ate at the Piccadilly on Wednesday evenings and always saw a lot of people we knew whether at the Piccadilly on Ryan or the Piccadilly at the Prien Lake Mall. When I covered the Louisiana Legislature in Baton Rouge for many years, I ate often at two Piccadilly cafeterias. They were a great place to go when you got tired of eating sandwiches and hamburgers and wanted some meat and vegetables. The newspaper said Piccadilly was founded in downtown Baton Rouge by T.H. Hamilton in 1944. The headline on the story also asked. 'How has Piccadilly weathered the decades?' Some who remember the two local Piccadilly cafeterias that closed may recall there was talk about another Piccadilly opening at the mall. However, that turned out to be an unwelcome rumor. After the Piccadilly chain purchased Morrison Restaurants Inc. in 1998, Piccadilly had about 270 locations. Now, there are only 30 Piccadilly cafeterias left. There are four in Baton Rouge and one each in Denham Springs, Gretna, Lafayette, Metairie, Monroe and Shreveport. The others are in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia. Peter Ricchiuti, a business professor at Tulane University, and his students worked to study and track numerous public companies, including Piccadilly in the 1990s. They determined the purchase of Morrison's was a huge blunder for the company because people had loyalty to their own brand of cafeteria. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2003 because of poor performance. It was purchased by Piccadilly Investments. The purchase took the company private after 27 years of being a public company. It filed for bankruptcy again in 2012. In 2014, it was purchased by Falcon Holdings, which is known for revitalizing struggling businesses. The decline of Piccadilly is also a story about changing times. Cafeteria-style dining has fallen out of vogue, and the chain has long struggled to court younger customers. The Tulane professor said, 'If you're not from the South, you associate cafeterias with the worst times in your life — like being hospitalized or being in middle school. That's what they're fighting against.' In the 70s and 80s, fast food became a much larger part of the American diet, and since Piccadilly's heyday, dining out in general has become a bigger thing. The newspaper said in an attempt to cut costs, keep up with the times or adapt to the economy, Piccadilly also lost some defining features. At one time, there were cloth napkins, some live music and commissioned murals. Jeannine Gerald Schutte, 70, was hired to play the piano at the Piccadilly at Bon Marche Mall in Baton Rouge when she was in high school (1968-72) and got free meals. Her favorite was mac and cheese and chocolate pie for dessert. Schutte talked about busloads of soldiers stopping and readers wrote the newspaper about their baseball or basketball teams stopping at the Piccadilly cafeteria for meals. Seniors on gambling or vacation trips do that these days at fast food places, and you don't want to be there. The Advocate said a former executive vice president of Piccadilly said Mother's Day was the biggest day of their year from 1971 to 2001. One Piccadilly customer said something that best defines what Piccadilly means to a lot of people. 'Piccadilly is all about family,' he said. 'It's about places that you went with your parents, with your children, maybe your extended family.' He said it was a place he loved to go to and spend quality time together and it was a time in his life when getting together with his three kids over a meal was easy. Yes, it was great. And when Jo Ann, my late wife, and I took a dozen medical trips to Houston every year, we always ate at a Luby's cafeteria. My daughter and I still do that when we make those rare trips now. Do you have any personal memories of the Piccadilly cafeteria? Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or
The Independent
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Youth Demand activists disrupt London Pride with red paint in pro-Palestine protest
Youth Demand activists disrupted London's Pride parade by throwing red paint at a float in a pro-Palestine protest on Saturday. Several campaigners have been arrested after they blocked US-based company Cisco's float in central London, accusing the company of being 'complicit in genocide' and 'hiding their crimes behind a veil of pink washing'. Four Youth Demand activists threw red paint over the float at around 12:30pm as it passed along Piccadilly. They then sat down in the road and glued themselves to the float, chanting 'we charge you with genocide'. The Parade was delayed for about an hour while the group were removed, with five arrests made. The group said on social media: 'Technology corporation CISCO has a long standing partnership with the Israeli military and enables the mass murder of Palestinians through advanced military communication networks facilitated by their Unified Communication systems. They have willingly supplied their technology to strengthen Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza and have NO place at London pride. 'They are not only complicit in war crimes but actively enabling military communications in an apartheid state. We demand a total trade embargo on Israel and an end to the pinkwashing of complicit corporations.' According to Youth Demand, one of the protestors, Reya Wood, 22, a student from Swansea, said: 'I am taking action against Cisco at London Pride to highlight the company's complicity in genocide and how they are hiding their crimes behind a veil of pink washing. As a queer woman, this action is particularly meaningful to me. I refuse to stand aside and allow my queer identity to be exploited for commercial gain at the hands of war criminals.' The protesters were pictures being arrested and taken away by police. The Independent has contacted Cisco and the Met Police for comment. A spokesperson from the force told the Mail Online: 'Met officers have arrested five people after Youth Demand protesters disrupted the Pride event in central London. 'At around 12:30hrs four members of the group threw red paint over a truck involved in the parade and glued themselves to the vehicle outside The Ritz. 'They were removed by specialist officers and arrested. A fifth member of the group was arrested in the crowd. 'The parade has resumed and a significant policing operation remains in place.' The protest happened a short distance away from a separate protest taking place in support of recently proscribed group Palestine Action. Over 20 people were arrested on suspicion of terror offences at a Palestine Action protest where dozens stood silently beneath the statue of Mahatma Ghandi in Parliament Square. The protesters were holding placards that said: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action'. It came hours after Palestine Action lost a late-night Court of Appeal challenge on Friday which sought to stop the protest group being banned. The move was confirmed less than two hours before the new legislation came into force at midnight. The designation as a terror group means that membership of or support for Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The protest started at about 1.10pm and officers were seen taking people away shortly after 1.30pm.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Pro-Palestine activists disrupt London Pride parade as they cover float with red paint day after Palestine Action were banned
Pro-Palestine activists have disrupted the London Pride parade as they covered a float with red paint. Four Youth Demand protesters targeted CISCO's truck as they charged the US-based company with 'genocide' and said they have 'no place' at the event. It comes less than 24 hours after it emerged that Palestine Action will be banned and designated as a terrorist organisation. Last night, a judge threw out co-founder Huda Ammori's legal challenge to stop the government from proscribing it under the Terrorism Act 2000. Photos from the London Pride event today show the group of Youth Demand activists sitting in front of CISCO's float holding buckets of red paint and Palestinian flags. The parade was delayed for about an hour while the protesters were removed and five people arrested. Youth Demand claimed on social media: 'Technology corporation CISCO has a long standing partnership with the Israeli military and enables the mass murder of Palestinians through advanced military communication networks facilitated by their Unified Communication systems. 'They have willingly supplied their technology to strengthen Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza and have NO place at London pride. 'They are not only complicit in war crimes but actively enabling military communications in an apartheid state. 'We demand a total trade embargo on Israel and an end to the pink-washing of complicit corporations.' The group targeted the CISCO float as it passed through Piccadilly at around 12.30pm today. Four activists glued themselves to it, before chanting 'we charge you with genocide'. A Met Police spokesperson said: 'Met officers have arrested five people after Youth Demand protesters disrupted the Pride event in central London. 'At around 12:30hrs four members of the group threw red paint over a truck involved in the parade and glued themselves to the vehicle outside The Ritz. 'They were removed by specialist officers and arrested. A fifth member of the group was arrested in the crowd. 'The parade has resumed and a significant policing operation remains in place.' Youth Demand yesterday said that they stand 'unequivocally' with Palestine Action. The group posted on social media: 'The proscription of Palestine Action is the most sinister escalation we've seen yet in this government's actions to silence those who resist genocide 'Whilst the UK sends weapons to Israel and flies spy planes over Gaza, it terrorises those standing against it at home with unprecedented repression.' The proposal to ban Palestine Action was approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords earlier this week. It would make membership and support for the direct action group a criminal offence, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. But despite the request, Mr Justice Chamberlain refused to block Ms Ammori's challenge at the High Court. He said: 'I have concluded that the harm which would ensue if interim relief is refused but the claim later succeeds is insufficient to outweigh the strong public interest in maintaining the order in force.' Ms Ammori's legal team was also denied permission to appeal and was advised to take their case directly to the Court of Appeal. Currently, 81 organisations are already proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Hamas, al Qaida, and National Action. Friday's hearing comes after an estimated £7million worth of damage was caused to two Voyager planes at RAF Brize Norton on June 20, in an action claimed by Palestine Action. Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, and Lewis Chiaramello, 22, are accused of conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage. They were remanded into custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court and will appear at the Old Bailey on July 18.
