Anti-vaccine protesters came together in London on Monday, reportedly to demonstrate against vaccine passports, vaccines for children and what they claim is the BBC’s biased coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
But they assembled outside a building the broadcaster largely vacated in 2013, per multiple media reports.
Police prevented the group from entering the Television Centre complex in west London, which now houses apartments and TV studios that the BBC rents out to other broadcasters.
A smaller group of protesters later walked to the BBC’s now-main base in London, some five miles away at Broadcasting House.
Critics mocked their confusion on Twitter.
“Fully researched protest,” cracked entrepreneur Deborah Meaden.
But they assembled outside a building the broadcaster largely vacated in 2013, per multiple media reports.
Police prevented the group from entering the Television Centre complex in west London, which now houses apartments and TV studios that the BBC rents out to other broadcasters.
A smaller group of protesters later walked to the BBC’s now-main base in London, some five miles away at Broadcasting House.
Critics mocked their confusion on Twitter.
“Fully researched protest,” cracked entrepreneur Deborah Meaden.
If you favour your own online ‘research’ over the peer-reviewed work of evidence-based experts going back decades, you should not be surprised to find yourself ‘storming’ a BBC building that does not, in fact, house the BBC.
See also vaccines, climate change & EU membership.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) August 9, 2021
Fully researched protest. https://t.co/zLTpiR2Yl7
— Deborah Meaden ? (@DeborahMeaden) August 9, 2021
Was coming back home from centre of London and read about the anti-vax protests at BBC TV Centre, so went a different way than normal avoid Regent St. Then found out that the protest was at White City. Where the BBC stopped being in 2013. Amazing comedy work from those guys.
— David Baddiel (@Baddiel) August 9, 2021
So are the protestors protesting against the BBC expecting me and Holly Willoughby to email Huw Edwards or something? Because they’re banging the doors of studios used by ITV daytime not by the BBC since 2012. If they can’t use Google maps how do they know so much about vaccines?
— Adil Rashford Saka Sancho ? (@adilray) August 9, 2021
Anti-vaxxers protesting the BBC, outside a building the BBC left a decade ago, sounds about the right level of research for anti-vaxxers. ???
'Loose Women' was being filmed inside for ITV. A chat on the menopause. They must have been baffled by chants of "shame on you". ~AA https://t.co/A0vNiuHIeq
— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) August 9, 2021
Now it’s eventually dawned on them they’re at the wrong place, they say they’re moving to BBC Southbank. Good luck with that. There’s no such place. I never realised BBC Broadcasting House W1 was such a state secret. Making the Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight look sensible. https://t.co/i7nWQ1Z27H
— Andrew Neil (@afneil) August 9, 2021
Anti-lockdown protestors are storming BBC Television centre, to protest to a TV company that isn't there any more about a lockdown that isn't on any more.
— HappyToast ★ (@IamHappyToast) August 9, 2021
There’s been an attempt by anti-vaccine “freedom” protesters to storm Television Centre at Shepherds Bush, apparently under the impression that the BBC is still based there. Despite the symbolism, they’ve pretty much gone to the wrong place.
— Alistair Coleman (@alistaircoleman) August 9, 2021
It’s ITV’s HQ now, you f*cking imbeciles. https://t.co/PXbGhQoXxs
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 9, 2021