Breaking the rules again, it’s Corbyn at a memorial
JEREMY Corbyn was embroiled i n another Covid row last night after it emerged he was at a memorial service that exceeded the maximum 30-person limit.
The former Labour leader was among a crowd of roughly 100 at an ‘ anarchists’ carnival’ with live music last weekend in honour of the founder of Occupy Wall Street, David Graeber.
It took place a week after Mr Corbyn apologised for breaking the ‘rule of six’ at a dinner party with eight friends, also in memory of Mr Graeber, who died last month.
At last Sunday’s memorial, Mr Corbyn, 71, was photographed on several occasions without a mask, including while in conversation with the organiser, Nika Dubrovsky, who is Mr Graeber’s widow.
She was seated next to Mr Corbyn at the dinner party. His wife, Laura Alvarez, was also there.
Official Covid rules say that no more than 30 people should attend funerals and memorials. Mourners are urged to obey social distancing rules and delay memorials until after the pandemic, if that is possible.
The ‘ memorial carnival’, which took place at Portobello Green in London’s Notting Hill, also featured the Trojans, Mr Graeber’s favourite band.
Live music is discouraged because of the risk of singing spreading t he virus and because it encourages people to talk to each other at close quarters. Some, but not all, of those present wore masks.
Miss Dubrovsky’s official invitation to the ‘Intergalactic Memorial Carnival’ in London and other global cities to commemorate her late husband stressed i ts spontaneous nature. The ‘sunrise to sunset’ global events would reflect the ‘mischievous spirit of his anarchism’, she said.
Miss Dubrovsky urged ‘activists to take over the streets with a mass assembly... anywhere can host a memorial carnival from street corners to cemetery squats’.
She made no mention of the need to guard against coronavirus and joked: ‘There is simple rule: bring a mask – more carnival than Covid style, of course.’ Miss Dubrovsky called on Mr Graeber’s ‘ 200,000 friends’ in London to join in’. Around 100 turned out.
Mr Corbyn did not respond to requests by the Daily Mail to respond.
A spokesman for Westway Trust, a local charity that manages Portobello Green, said it gave permission for the ‘memorial carnival’ to take place. A Trust source said all events were expected to comply with Covid rules, including the limit of 30.
‘More carnival than Covid’