Yahoo Finance TfL: Anti-Israel posters based on Sally Rooney book ‘act of vandalism’
Transport for London has said posters calling for a boycott of Israel under the guise of a Sally Rooney book cover are an "act of vandalism".
The anti-Israel posters, which are mocked up to appear like the cover of the best-selling novel ‘Normal People’, appeared at bus stops in the capital over the weekend.
A TfL spokesperson confirmed all posters had now been taken down and added it was taking the incident "extremely seriously".
Several sightings of the artwork were reported across London with one prominent display at Vauxhall station.
How is this acceptable? How is this acceptable! pic.twitter.com/BWtZu2fREJ
— Sophie Corcoran (@sophielouisecc) October 17, 2021
The Metropolitan Police said it had been alerted to the poster and was “investigating”.
The group Protest Stencil, are believed to be behind the posters, posting a picture on Twitter with the caption: "You can tell a lot about a person from whether their solidarity is with the coloniser or the colonised. Respect to Sally Rooney for her principled stand in support of Palestinians."
It comes amid a growing row after Ms Rooney declined to have her latest book 'Beautiful World, Where Are You' translated into Hebrew by an Israeli publisher due to her stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Last week, the Irish author defended her decision not to sell the translation rights to her new book to an Israeli-based publishing house Modan, saying she wants to express her solidarity with the “Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality”.
A TfL spokesperson said: "These adverts are not authorised by TfL or our advertising partner JCDecaux.
"It is fly posting and therefore an act of vandalism which we take extremely seriously.
"We have instructed our contractors to remove any of these posters found on our network immediately."
Protest Stencil has been contacted for comment.
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