Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
WIRELESS in Finsbury Park: the Labour Council, their customer Live Nation and their fascist-rapper booking
GUARDIAN: Sadiq Khan and Jewish Leadership Council condemn Wireless festival ...
The Labour Council's policy of hiring out public parks has led to another controversial booking in Finsbury Park by their global, prosecuted-monopolist customer, Live Nation.
Council Leader Peray Ahmet has in the past defended and endorsed Grime as representing "working class struggle".
Grime is also associated with violence, misogyny and homophobia. Meanwhile rapper Kanye West is associated with fascism and anti-semitism.
Jobs in the council's Events Team depend on the Live Nation relationship. The council's busy PR team continue to promote Finsbury Park as a summer gig venue as part of the Borough's cultural offer.
WIRELESS 2023—CEO Festival Republic (Melvin Benn, left) with Haringey Council Leader (Peray Ahmet, right). Partners in Grime? Credit: Cllr. Ahmet's Twitter—Photo credit: probably a photographer working for council PR
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Update: at 20:30 hours, 1 April 2026
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has added his voice to the disgust already voiced and the Guardian's headline now reflects that. A few treat this as a joke. Here is what Mayor Khan had to say:
In a press statement on Wednesday 1 April, a spokesperson for London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London’s values. This was a decision taken by the festival organizers and not one that City Hall is involved in.”
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Here are some sample questions for journalists or the council Opposition, to ask of Peray Ahmet, Leader of Haringey Council and currently seeking re-election in Noel Park Ward:
- When did the council leader first learn of the Kanye West booking?
- Was the urgency to bind the next two council Administrations before the "purdah" pre-election period, due to Cllr Ahmet's foreknowledge that Kanye West was likely to headline for three nights at Wireless?
- The council leader enjoys a close, cordial relationship with the Festival Republic promoter. If there was no foreknowledge of the booking, then why not? Was this headliner booking concealed from her?
- Was council leader Ahmet aware that the headliner in our public park was expelled from Australia?
- How much concern—if any—does leader Ahmet feel about the promotion of Nazi values, Hitler admiration, swastika display; anti-semitism, misogyny and homophobia?
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#LabourValues? #LabourParty? #Values?
Tags for Forum Posts: wireless
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton
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I hope, Angela, that you are not thinking of encouraging other HoL members to use this website to defame someone else. Wouldn't that be both unfair and possibly reckless?
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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DEFAMATION:
An analogy, plus the likely source of at least some of the allegations against the headliner-booking in Finsbury Park.
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Trump—in his case against the BBC for defamation—faces a long list of hurdles. His $10 billion case in Florida next February is clearly intended for (a) initial headlines and (b) for the longer term effect of intimidating reporters.
The last hurdle and possibly the most interesting BBC defence, is that Trump cannot be defamed.
In order to damage someone's reputation, they need to have a good name to lose in the first place.
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Angela's mention of allegations concerning Kanye West, may have been founded on reporting in the Los Angeles Times (below) and by the BBC.
Kanye West’s ex-assistant details alleged sexual assault, stalking ...
In my view, the Home Secretary acted in the wider interests of the UK. However, as noted by the PM and others, this odious individual should never have been invited to the UK in the first place.
The promoter claimed that all stakeholders had okayed the headliner.
(a) was Haringey Council—as landlord and Licensing Authority and headed up by Grime-fan council leader Peray Ahmet—a "stakeholder"; and
(b) did she or her Events Team approve of the booking?
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Permalink Reply by Angela
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Alan and Clive, I am referring to two articles which I read on the BBC News website
Kanye West: Adidas investigates after claims of 'toxic' behaviour -...
Kanye West's ex-assistant in hiding after filing sexual assault cla...
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ANGELA, a neighbour sent to me a copy of the article that appeared in The Times yesterday. It's by journalist Deborah Ross who appears to be a local resident ~
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[click to enlarge]
Ms Ross' distaste for Wireless is likely to be shared by many Haringey residents, as well as residents in Hackney and Islington Boroughs.
Voters in those two Boroughs have any less say than those in Haringey about Haringey policies that impact them.
Haringey leader Peray Ahmet has never acknowledged any problem with her council's Major Events Policy.
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ANOTHER article about Haringey Council's hire of our park to Festival Republic for Wireless appears in today's issue of The Times:
[click to enlarge]
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MEDIA commentary on the Wireless fiasco continues to omit mention of the role played by the Licensing Authority and the Landlady (Haringey Council). In today's GUARDIAN ~
‘A house of cards’: how did Wireless festival get it so wrong on Kanye West?
Among the relevant factors airbrushed-out;
- the Events Team
- the feeble Licence
- the Land Use Agreement
- Labour's Major Events Policy
- council cosiness with Festival Republic
- the council leader's enthusiasm for Major Events
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Much as I dislike the man and what he says, I fear we are going too far by banning him from performing. It's a slippery slope once we start policing what people say. Who's to say what is deemed unacceptable?
He's not advocating violence, as far as I know. If he were it might be a different story.
I don't want the park used for concerts like Wireless which ruin the place for months afterwards and prevent locals from enjoying the green space for a large chunk of summer so I'm happy it has been cancelled. However, it would have been better that it were cancelled due to it's unsuitability for the location.
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BRIAN!
"Ye" does not need to advocate violence explicitly.
Nazis and fascism have been associated with violence in the past: it goes with the territory.
Haringey Council wants these mega events (up to 50,000 ticketholders), but I agree with you that I'd prefer to see our park not used for such huge and damaging events. With the attendant, annual noise, crime, litter, exclusion and traffic disruption from road closure and bus route suspension.
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Last month you could not have put a spade-handle between Haringey Council Leader Peray Ahmet and Festival Republic's Melvin Benn.
Nothing was too much trouble for the council to do for their customer. In our park. But within three weeks, Councillor Ahmet was trying to distance herself by the width of a bandstand-field from the headliner booking-decision of her high associate in the entertainment industry …
When you're in a hole, stop digging!
Left to right: spade-work and the Wireless crew: Parks & Culture Cabinet Member (Emily Arkell); CEO Festival Republic (Melvin Benn); Haringey Council Leader (Peray Ahmet); a member of the Council Events Team
Picture credit: Haringey Council PR.
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Permalink Reply by Konrad B
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The man in blue on the right is Simon Farrow head of Haringey's Parks and Leisure - a council employee who over the last fifteen + years has had lot to do with promoting Finsbury Park as a large scale event venue and is the author of the council's Outdoor Events Policy.
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Wireless 2024: Haringey Council leader Peray Ahmet (centre) is flanked by Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn and Parks & Culture Cabinet Member, Emily Arkell
Photo credit: council PR
At the time, Cllr Ahmet wrote:
… An excellent example of collaborative working between @haringeycouncil and Festival Republic. Thank you to Melvin Benn and his team for such effective management.
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