Police are investigating a potential hate crime at an Edinburgh Fringe show after two Israeli audience members were “hounded out”.
Scotland’s national force has confirmed it received a report of a “hate incident” at a gig on Sunday by Reginald D Hunter, the American comedian, and said it was “reviewing the circumstances”.
The Telegraph previously reported that the audience members were booed out of the Assembly George Square Studios after they objected to Hunter’s joke comparing Israel to an abusive spouse.
The American comic responded to the controversy for the first time on Thursday, calling it an “unfortunate incident” and expressing “regret” for “any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members”.
However, he later reposted social media comments claiming he had been a “good comedian” by responding to hecklers, and that allegations of anti-Semitism were being made to “shut down criticism” of Israel.
The incident began when Hunter made reference to a Channel 5 documentary titled My Wife, My Abuser, about an abusive partner who publicly claimed that her victim was guilty of abusing her.
Pair heckled and booed by other audience members
Witnesses said Hunter told the audience: “When I saw that, I thought, my God, it’s like being married to Israel.”
Hunter was heard telling the audience members, who said they were from Israel and one of whom was disabled, to leave after they briefly heckled him over the joke, saying it was “not funny”.
As they left his show, called Fluffy Fluffy Beavers, which runs until Aug 26 at the Fringe, they were booed and heckled with expletives from other audience members after Hunter verbally attacked them.
The comedian went on to make an anti-Semitic joke about being unable to access a review of one of his shows on a Jewish newspaper’s website. He said: “Typical f—ing Jews, they won’t tell you anything unless you subscribe.”
The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism has described accounts of the events as “extremely concerning” and has urged witnesses to come forward.
Scotland has new hate crime laws
A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “We have been made aware of a hate incident, which reportedly took place at an event in Edinburgh on Aug 11 2024. We are reviewing the circumstances.”
Controversial new hate crime laws in Scotland came into force in April, which make it an offence to “stir up hatred” against protected groups, including Jews.
In a post on social media, Hunter said: “There was an unfortunate incident in my new show. As a comedian, I do push boundaries in creating humour, it’s part of my job.
“This inevitably creates divided opinions and I am staunchly anti-war and anti-bully. I regret any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members.”
The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said in a statement that its lawyers were “examining this incident”.
A spokesman added: “Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but they also have a responsibility to their audience.
“Reginald D Hunter has laughed off his Holocaust jokes and another supposed joke about ‘typical f—ing Jews’ in the past, but watching on and cracking jokes as Jews are hounded out of your show is a sickening low that cannot be disguised as comedy.
“We have seen this before in recent months, and venues must stand extremely firm against this kind of behaviour.”
The Assembly Festival, which runs the venue, stated: “We are aware of an audience member choosing to leave Reginald D Hunter’s performance on Sunday Aug 11.
“The venue front of house team attended and supported the member of the public upon exiting.”