Green festival hit by insurer's ban on 'political, religious and cultural' stalls

ANTI-RACIST GROUP TOLD: DON'T MENTION FAR RIGHT

- By LOUIS CORBETT

PROMINENT charities and political groups were turned away on Sunday from an event that has run without complaint for over 30 years.

The Green Festival, an annual event in the Arboretum, was a sad sight with dark skies above and the same question on everybody's lips: "Where is half of the festival?"

An inherently political event, with the purpose of advocating for climate action, it ran a massively scaled-back event after its insurance company - Event Insurance - said it would be voiding their policy if certain "political, cultural and religious" stalls attended.

Speaking on the day of the festival, the organisers said: "Due to a policy change by our insurers, which we weren't informed of until now, we have had to let go of some of our planned stallholders.

"This is because they won't provide the one-day cover needed to any stalls promoting 'political, religious or cultural issues'.