Posted on 01/30/2024 1:35:13 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
In London these days, if you’re lucky enough not to be hounded on the street by mobs of virulent pro-Hamas protesters, you just might find yourself assaulted by a gaggle of arrogant Chinese Communists. At least, that is, if you make your living by playing boogie-woogie on public pianos.
That’s what happened the other day to British piano man Brendan Kavanagh, whose YouTube channel has 2.4 million subscribers. Until this dustup occurred, I was unfamiliar with him. He comes off as a totally easygoing type, a middle-aged bloke who enjoys his music, loves sharing it online, and doesn’t take himself too seriously. In brief, a free spirit.
Alas, there are people moving among us in the Western world who, far from being free spirits, are agents of the planet’s largest terror regime. The other day Kavanagh was livestreaming while tickling the ivories at St. Pancras Station in London – on a Yamaha upright donated to the station, as it happens, by Elton John – when a half-dozen or so of them approached him. They were all wearing identical red scarves and carrying small Chinese flags.
At first it appeared as if one of them wanted to play the piano. But no: she said something in broken English about a “disclosure form” and about recording for Chinese TV. Then one of her male comrades told Kavanagh to turn off his camera, insisting that it was the group’s “right” not to have their images recorded. Kavanagh replied, firmly but pleasantly, that “we’re in a free country…..We’re not in Communist China.” To which the young man shot back: “Sorry, this is racist now!” And when Kavanagh’s hand grazed against one young woman’s flag, the Chinese guy exploded: “Don’t touch her!”
(Excerpt) Read more at frontpagemag.com ...
YOU missed the whole point.
Freedom of expression means you can express yourself - not that no one is going to push back.
This guy expressed himself.. some people didn’t like it.. so?
Should the law be that people should be able to play music and no one can say STFU?
Speaking of smartphones, one of the Chinese ladies took a picture of HIM without his knowledge or consent.
They even tried to get the police to go after him. And like true communists, they even tried to pull the race card.
For people not wanting to be filmed, they put thèmselves right in the direction of the camera. They could have moved, they could have turned their backs, but they wanted to make a fuss.
He handled himself well and didn’t give up his rights.
I saw that video several days ago. We could all learn from him.
John William “Long John” Baldry was an English musician and actor. He was one of the first British vocalists to sing the blues in clubs and shared the stage with many British musicians including the Rolling Stones and the Beatles 1. Baldry was openly gay to his friends and show business associates, but did not come out publicly until the 1970s, by which time gay male sex had been decriminalized 2.
I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
AI
No that wasn’t what I was referring to. Perhaps you caught a different meaning in the article than I did. And that is fine. It isn’t that big of a deal. If my original post to you seemed harsh I apologize.
Now I remember what I caught in the article! It is the tyranny of the minority and how it is playing out in today’s world. You read a different meaning and that’s cool.
I’ve watched his videos a few times and always felt he brought a lot of joy to others. Then a small group of total jerks try to ruin it for everybody.
This bloke was not told to STFU. He was told by the CCP people to not film them and put it on YouTube.
UK has cameras everywhere so it was ridiculous that this fellow was approached and threatened.
Captive audiences? Nobody around was held there to watch and many just keep on moving to their destinations.
In this case, that is EXACTLY what the law says.
Public place
Public piano.
You got it just backwards. The Woke progressives are in Cact in league with the communists in China.
Who do you think paid off the chief American leftist?
The Chinese group was at the same station to make their own film, but he was there first playing the piano.
The woman goes up to him, says they are from Chinese TV, and asks that he stops recording because they own the rights to their likenesses. He says they're in public and they have freedoms in the UK.
It wasn't at all about the Chinese group and his music playing; it was about them not wanting to be filmed in public, even incidentally from a distance. When he refused to comply, they became belligerent.
If you saw the video and not just read an account of it, you would know that what happened is not what you are describing about people not liking street performers in busy commuter throughways.
-PJ
“I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.”
What’s your point? I know who he is, I guess an FYI for others.
That was Bing AI
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.