Veteran actress Dame Maureen Lipman has stated that a group called Mensch offered her support when pro-Palestinian activists initiated a boycott of her performances in Scotland due to her support for Israel. Lipman wrote in The Spectator that members of Mensch demonstrated in support of her, acting as a counter-protest against those boycotting her shows in Aberdeen and Glasgow.
These actions followed a campaign against Lipman over her views on Israel and anti-Semitism. She described the activists attempting to boycott her from theaters in Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Bath as having "went underground in London," being replaced by the group Mensch, which she referred to as "the voice of sanity in the face of the activists behind Palestine Action."
Lipman also cited a separate instance where she claimed "sanctimonious actors" influenced the decision to remove Boy George from a role as King Herod in "Jesus Christ Superstar." She alleged this was due to a song where he "defended Israel's right to defend itself after the Hamas pogrom," suggesting a conflict in political stances among the production's personnel.
Her remarks come several months after controversy arose regarding a campaign targeting her appearance in Aberdeen. In June, Police Scotland faced criticism for classifying an image of Lipman, which activists shared on Facebook with added devil's horns and a trident, as a "non-crime hate incident." The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) had posted the image, calling for her to be removed from a play and urging support for a petition to prevent her from performing.
The police decision was criticized in light of Scotland's Hate Crime Act 2024, which criminalizes threatening or abusive material intended to incite hatred. Lipman performed in Aberdeen in May in the play "Allegra." While protesters were anticipated, no incidents were reported at the venue. The SPSC's petition, titled "Stop Maureen Lipman Performing at HMT Aberdeen," included the controversial image, which drew parallels to historical anti-Semitic depictions of Jews with grotesque features.
At the time of the SPSC's campaign, a spokesperson stated that Lipman had "openly voiced extremist, Islamophobic, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab views" and that "racists are not welcome here."
A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed that the social media content was assessed and recorded as a non-crime hate incident.