Good for Brendan Kavanagh for standing up for himself.
When cameras are rolling, anything can happen. And cameras were rolling last week during a strange altercation between a piano player in London and a group of Chinese nationals.
Brendan Kavanagh, or “Dr. K,” was playing the public piano at London’s St Pancras station, while a friend filmed him for a live-stream to his YouTube channel. He was approached by Chinese nationals with Chinese flags who wanted to use the piano but asked that he not film them.
One of the women explained that she works for Chinese TV and can’t show her face on other channels. But Kavanagh wasn’t having it.
“We are in Great Britain, we are not in China,” Kavanagh said, explaining that in Britain, people are free to film in a public place, and those not wanting to be filmed are free to simply walk away.
Events then took a strange turn when one of the group, a young man, accused Kavanagh of being racist and began shouting at him when he touched one of the women’s flags.
The altercation attracted the attention of the police. A policewoman, introducing herself as Kerry, instructed Kavanagh “We’re having a police matter, you need to put that phone [camera] down.”
Again, Officer Kerry said: “This is not to go on your channel by the way, this is me talking to you.”
Kavanagh replied “Listen, we’re in Britain, we’re in a public space. It’s a free country.”
Officer Kerry: The matter is, they [the Chinese nationals] say you’ve been making communist comments at them. . . .
Kavanagh: No, I said they were waving a communist flag. That’s all I said. . . .
Officer Kerry: They’ve requested that the video where they approach gets deleted and not used on your channel. . . .
Kavanagh: No, they don’t have that right.
Officer Kerry: Because there’s money being made, and they work for a company where their faces can’t be shown on TV or somebody else’s channel.
Kavanagh: You’re not their private security agent.
Officer Kerry: I’m not their private security agent.
Kavanagh: And we’re in a free country. We’re in a free space. We’re not causing any trouble. The problem is not from us, Kerry. The problem is they are coming over telling us what to do. And playing the piano. Now fair is fair, but you are not their private security guard.
Officer Kerry: I never said I was and I’m having a conversation with you.
Kavanagh: And we’re in a free space, in a free country.
Officer Kerry: There’s an allegation being made and that’s why I’m talking to you.
Kavanagh: What’s the allegation? You told me to stop filming and now you say there’s an allegation. The camera never lies. That’s why I’m filming.
Officer Kerry: The reason why I’m asking you not to film it is because I know you’re putting it on your YouTube channel.
Kavanagh: It doesn’t matter where it goes. We’re in a free country. Sorry. We’re in a democracy. We’re not in China. And that’s not racist. That’s the truth. That’s what our forefathers fought for.
Officer Kerry: Exactly. But you can’t say things like that either. You can’t just say things like that.
Kavanagh: What? That we’re in a free country.
Officer Kerry: No. “We’re not in China.” We’ve got Chinese people. . . .
Kavanagh: Listen, Kerry. If I was over in China and I started laying the law down to Chinese people at the piano, telling them what they cannot do. Do you think that’s appropriate? They came over here. The guy started shouting at me. They were saying “You’re not allowed to film, you’re not allowed to film!” And I said, “Sorry, we’re in Britain. I’m allowed to play.” And I said, “You’re waving a communist flag.” And then he said, “You’re racist.” So, if I’ve done anything wrong, tell me.
The back and forth continues like that for a few more minutes, and eventually, the policewoman loses interest. You can watch it here.
Good for Brendan Kavanagh for standing up for himself, for having the confidence to know the laws of the land, and to defend them from authoritarians, both foreign and native, who have not bothered to do the same.