Trans rights protesters storm Harry Potter West End red carpet wearing 'Rowling money kills' shirts

Masked activists lay down on the red carpet at London's Palace Theatre on Thursday, disrupting the gala premiere of a reworked version of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' as celebrities including Vanessa Feltz and Anne Hegerty arrived. Security removed the protesters, who wore masks and hats to hide their identities. The stunt targeted JK Rowling, whose stance that biological sex is "real" and "immutable" has made the Wizarding World franchise a recurring flashpoint for trans rights groups.

The gala marked the launch of a newly reworked single-part version of the show, running almost three hours — significantly shorter than the original production.

One protester wore a T-shirt reading 'Rowling money kills', a slogan apparently aimed at Rowling personally over her gender-identity views.

The Palace Theatre has faced repeated targeting, including a January protest where trans activists chalked hundreds of messages outside as audiences queued to enter.