Owners of controversial LD50 gallery told to ‘vacate premises’, claim campaigners

Controversial: LD50 art gallery on Tottenham Road. Photograph: Google Streetview

The owners of the contentious LD50 art gallery in Dalston have been told to ‘vacate the premises’ by the landlord, according to campaigners trying to shut it down.

The gallery faced protests from anti-fascists in February following revelations that it hosted a “Neoreaction conference” last year which featured leading proponents of the so-called “alt right” movement.

Speakers at that event included Brett Stevens, who has previously praised Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, saying “he chose to act where many of us write, think and dream.”

Shutdown LD50! organiser Andrew Osbourne wrote in a blog post today: “The campaign can happily disclose that the landlord of the LD50 Gallery has asked the tenants, Lucia Diego and Alexander Moss, to vacate the premises.

“The gallery sign has been taken down from the building at 2–4 Tottenham Road, Dalston, London, and there is no indication that any future events will be taking place in the space. As of April there will no longer be a racist cultural centre operating in Hackney.

Osbourne thanked the “many political and community groups” for their dedication in “shutting down the gallery”, but warned that “more needs to be done” to prevent the gallery from reopening elsewhere.

He added: “We urge people inside and outside of the art world to refuse to work with Lucia Diego and Alexander Moss. They have actively supported the development of a fascist culture in London. The speakers they hosted often promote mass violence against oppressed peoples and political opponents.

“The LD50 representatives have done next to nothing to disassociate themselves from such views. There is every reason to believe that they will attempt to resume their public promotion of racist ideas if given the opportunity. Not giving fascism a platform or a voice is an effective non-violent means of stopping them.”

But gallery chief Lucia Diego has denied Shutdown LD50!’s claims, saying: “I will not be responding to false information that appears on a Tumblr. Any announcements about LD50 gallery will come from me, and not third parties.”