Matt Lucas has been commended online for his calm reaction after being confronted by a pro-Palestinian activist while traveling on the London Underground.
The 51-year-old British comedian was approached and recorded by Thomas Abdullah Bourne, a convert to Islam who is known on social media as ‘White British Muslim.’
The video begins with Lucas, dressed in a black jacket, red sweater, and white cap, ascending an escalator at a Tube station.
Upon noticing the camera, the “Little Britain” star tries to shield his face using his right hand.
Bourne can be heard shouting, “Free Palestine. Free Palestine, Matt Lucas,” as he addresses the comedian.
Once at the top of the escalator, Lucas turns to his follower and greets him calmly, asking, “Hi, how are you?”
Mr Bourne responds ‘You don’t like what I’m wearing, do you?’ – a reference to the ‘keffiyeh’, the traditional, black-and-white chequered cotton scarf that has become a symbol of Palestinian solidarity for many Western activists.
Rather than engage in debate, Lucas simply responds: ‘No, I have no comment about it either way.’
Comedian Matt Lucas has been praised online for his cool demeanour after being accosted by a pro-Palestinian activist on the London Underground
The Little Britain star initially covered his face with his hand after noticing he was being filmed on the escalator by Thomas Abdullah Bourne, a convert to Islam who uses the social media handle ‘White British Muslim’
After getting off the escalator at the top, Mr Lucas even took a moment to acknowledge his pursuer, asking: ‘Hi, how are you?’
The activist then asks him: ‘You’ve got a problem with Palestinians, Matt?’
Mr Lucas responds simply ‘No’ before attempting to push the camera out of his face.
Mr Bourne responds ‘Don’t do that, don’t grab my stuff’ before Mr Lucas walks away, with the protester muttering ‘Zionist’ to the camera.
It is not clear precisely why Mr Lucas was targeted by the activist, with many online commenters attributing it simply to his Jewish heritage.
Mr Lucas was a signatory to the ‘No Hostage Left Behind’ open letter in October 2023 celebrating the release of two American and two Israeli hostages but has not been a particularly vocal presence on the conflict.
The missive also thanked then US President Joe Biden for his ‘unshakable moral conviction, leadership, and support for the Jewish people’ in Israel’s fight against Hamas.
Mr Lucas was raised in a Reform Jewish household, although his parents came from Orthodox Jewish backgrounds.
However, he has described himself as an ‘atheist’ and ‘fairly secular Jew’ in the past.
Mr Lucas rejected the questioner’s claim that he had ‘a problem with Palestinians’
Mr Bourne’s original post, which he later deleted after backlash from other users on social media
Several members of the comedian’s mother’s family fled Nazi Germany just before the Second World War.
When Mr Lucas appeared on the BBC’s genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? he stunned to learn a relative of his featured in Anne Frank’s diary.
The comic, who made his name as George Dawes on the surreal Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer vehicle Shooting Stars, travelled to Amsterdam to learn more about his German-born Jewish family.
And during the exploration into the past, Matt discovered that one of his ancestors – Werner Goldschmidt – lodged with the Frank family before they were captured by the Nazis and even had a mention in the teenager’s world-famous journal.
On social media Mr Lucas was praised for his calmness in his interactions with the activist at the underground station.
One poster wrote: ‘How disgusting, but I think Matt Lucas handled it calmly & well. He shouldn’t have had to though.
‘If Jewish people can’t go about their business & travel on public transport without being harassed & intimidated then we have entered a situation familiar to Nazi Germany.’
Another said: ‘I’m no geo-political expert, but I’m really not sure that asking Matt Lucas to “free” Palestine is going to have much effect, as I understand his trade is geared more towards the entertainment industry than magic-wand-waving Middle East diplomacy.’
A third added: ‘That’s not on. I hate the genocide in Gaza as much as the next person, but harassing Jewish people when they’re going to a football match is pathetic.’
The Daily Mail reached out to Mr Lucas’s representatives for comment.
There has been a notable rise in antisemitic incidents taking place across the country since the start of the Isreal Hamas war. Photos taken in December 2023 showed a bus stop in Stamford Hill, London, covered in graffiti showing a Star of David with a cross spray-painted over the top
Pita restaurant in Golders Green, north London, was smashed up in October 2023, just a few days after the October 7 attack
There has been a huge rise in antisemitic incidents in the UK since the October 7 attacks over two years ago.
More than 1,200 people were massacred when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel in October 2023. They attacks prompted Israel to start a war on Gaza.
Polling carried out last year shockingly revealed that one in five Britons now hold or agree with anti-Semitic views.
The findings showed that the number of people holding what would be considered entrenched anti-Semitic views has doubled in less than five years.
The survey, which was carried out by YouGov, found that an astounding 21% of the public now hold or agree with anti-Semitic views, compared to 16 per cent in 2024. In 2021, the figure was only 11 per cent.
It also found that a staggering 45% believe that Israel treats the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews.
This is a record figure and a huge increase from last year’s prior record of 33%. This belief was most prevalent in young people (60%) and in Londoners (48%).
The alarming figures are the highest since the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) began carrying out similar surveys a decade ago. The CAA labelled the figures ‘deeply alarming’ and said there are ‘stronger indicators of the rise of extremism in our country’.
