Putin calls out cancel culture for targeting JK Rowling and now Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a meandering speech calling out cancel culture in the West for targeting JK Rowling and Russia.
In a surprise rant, Putin claimed there is a campaign against Russian culture in the West which is targeting writers and composers. The Russian President went on to compare “cancel culture” to the policies of the German Nazi party which burned books in the 1930s during a televised meeting with cultural figures earlier today.
“They cancelled Joan Rowling recently, the children’s author – her books are published all over the world – just because she didn’t satisfy the demands of gender rights. They’re now trying to cancel our country,” said Putin.
“I’m talking about the progressive discrimination of everything to do with Russia,” he added, claiming that references to Russian writers and composers including Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Rachmaninov are being removed from Western culture.
“We remember the footage of when they were burning books, it’s impossible to imagine such a thing in our country,” Putin continued, referencing the behaviour of the German Nazi party.
He insisted that by contrast “there is no place for intolerance” in Russia where “cultural diversity is the pride of our society, the strength and priority of our states.”
JK Rowling has faced widespread backlash over her views on trans rights. Her controversial comments have prompted fans of the Harry Potter franchise and stars including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint to publicly speak out against her.
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