Pink Peacock was founded by Morgan Holleb and Joe Isaac,[3] both active participants in Irn-Ju, a Jewish anarchist collective in Scotland. The founders formed plans to open a queer and Yiddish café in 2019. They chose the name Pink Peacock, or די ראָזעווע פּאַווע (di rozeve pave) in Yiddish, after the golden peacock that is a traditional Yiddish symbol. They were motivated by the lack of queer and Jewish spaces in Govanhill, and the lack of Yiddish spaces in Scotland;[1] the café was the country's first physical Yiddish-focused space to open in decades.[4]
In July 2020, Pink Peacock campaigned to crowdfund £10,000 to cover the costs of running the café for three months. They successfully raised a total of £15,885 by the end of the campaign in August 2020.[1]
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the planned opening of the café. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Isaac and Holleb distributed packages of food in Govanhill and organized various queer and Jewish online events.[1]
Operationedit
Receipt from Pink Peacock café, with suggested price
Pink Peacock operated on a pay-what-you-can model, telling customers the break-even price but allowing them to pay any amount.[1][5] The café was alcohol-free and vegan,[6][7] and had a community fridge outside the café stocked with food.[5] In addition to food, they sold what Jewish Currents described in 2021 as "Jewish lefty merch".[3] The café was run as a cooperative by workers and community members.[8]
Use of Yiddishedit
Pink Peacock maintained a Yiddish version of its website, and used the language on Twitter, unlike many other Yiddish-focused organizations. In a 2020 article for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Holleb explained that "Yiddish is a way of connecting with a Jewish language that isn’t modern Hebrew. There isn’t Yiddish nationhood. It is a diasporic language."[4]
Anti-police policy and tote bagsedit
In June 2021, Pink Peacock was the subject of reporting in the tabloid The Scottish Sun, which criticised their policy of "no cops, no terfs". Subsequently, the café's storefront was vandalised when a man painted over it.[3] The cafe had also experienced vandalism a month prior to these events, in May 2021 when a window had been smashed in an incident which also saw windows broken in adjacent branches of Farmfoods and Semichem.[9] Additionally, the coverage led to a complaint about the café displaying in its window a pink tote bag with the words "fuck the police" in English and Yiddish, which in turn led Police Scotland to visit Holleb and Isaac's home.[3] Holleb was subsequently charged with breach of the peace, and Glasgow police seized one of the tote bags from Pink Peacock as evidence.[3][9] After the seizure, which was publicized in local media and on Pink Peacock's Twitter account, the café sold out of the bags.[8]
Handcuff key salesedit
On 30 September, the café launched the sale of universal handcuff keys. They were met with criticism on line as this coincided with the sentencing of a police officer convicted of the murder of Sarah Everard after falsely arresting her and restraining her in handcuffs. The café later issued a statement claiming the keys had been promoted with the upcoming 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference protests in mind and not the Sarah Everard case and said the timing was insensitive.[10][11]
Book burningedit
In May 2023, for the Jewish holiday of Lag BaOmer, Pink Peacock members burned a copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on the pavement outside the cafe, to protest what they believed to be transphobia and antisemitism from author J. K. Rowling. A spokesperson denied that the act was similar to Nazi book burnings, due to differences in power between a government and a café.[12]
Closingedit
Pink Peacock closed on 14 June 2023, with the organisation citing a number of reasons including burnout, right-wing backlash, antisemitism from the left and right, and racism within the collective toward minority members.[13][14] One volunteer said that the café had faced rumours from other left-wing groups that the members were secretly wealthy American Jews exploiting workers. They said the Socialist Workers Party was responsible for much of the abuse directed at the Pink Peacock.[14]
Referencesedit
^ abcdeMetzer, Anya (15 September 2020). . Vashti Media. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
^ abcdeAngel, Arielle (9 July 2021). "The Yiddish Tote Rankling Glasgow Police". Jewish Currents. from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^ abJudah, Jacob (26 August 2020). "The queer-friendly, Yiddish-speaking, anarchist-run Pink Peacock cafe aims to spark a Jewish revolution in Glasgow". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^ abHall, Jake (28 June 2022). "Inside the UK's queer 'pay-as-you-want' cafes". Huck Magazine. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
^Lipson, Molly (10 December 2020). "Jewish activists who are making a difference". Reader's Digest. from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^Williams, Craig (11 February 2020). "There's a queer, Yiddish, anarchist, vegan, pay-what-you-can cafe opening in Glasgow". GlasgowLive. from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^ abHolmes, Juwan J. (19 June 2021). "Officers attempt to storm a gay café to seize "f*ck the police" merch. It backfires". LGBTQ Nation. from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^ abWakefield, Lily (17 June 2021). "Cops seize 'f**k the police' tote bag from window of queer anarchist Jewish café". PinkNews. from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^Marini, Gianni (10 October 2021). "Glasgow cafe offering keys to escape handcuffs ahead of COP26 protests". STV. from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
^"pink peacock handcuff statement". twitter. pink peacock. 3 October 2021. from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
^Morrison, Hamish (11 May 2023). "Pink Peacock staff burn Harry Potter book in Glasgow street". The National. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
^Murphy, Sean (6 June 2023). "Glasgow queer, Yiddish, anarchist, vegan, pay-what-you-can cafe to close 'with heavy heart'". Glasgow Live. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
^ abShamir, Jonathan (15 June 2023). "Queer Yiddish Café in Scotland Shuts Doors After Antisemitic Abuse". Haaretz. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
External linksedit
Media related to Pink Peacock at Wikimedia Commons
Official website
"why we say 'fuck the police': a statement from pink peacock די ראָזעווע פּאַווע", Av5781 (July 2021)
December 10, 2023
pink, peacock, yiddish, די, רא, זעווע, ווע, rozeve, pave, café, infoshop, govanhill, area, glasgow, described, founders, anti, zionist, only, queer, yiddish, anarchist, vegan, what, café, world, opened, physically, 2021, after, being, delayed, covid, pandemic,. Pink Peacock Yiddish די רא זעווע פ א ווע Di Rozeve Pave was a cafe and infoshop in the Govanhill area of Glasgow Described by its founders as anti Zionist and the only queer Yiddish anarchist vegan pay what you can cafe in the world 1 it opened physically in 2021 after being delayed by the COVID 19 pandemic and announced its closure in June 2023 2 Pink Peacockדי רא זעווע פ א וועPink Peacock Central Glasgow Formation2019 4 years ago 2019 FounderMorgan Holleb Joe IsaacDissolved14 June 2023 5 months ago 2023 06 14 PurposePay what you can queer Yiddish anarchist cafeLocationGovanhill area of Glasgow ScotlandCoordinates55 50 09 N 4 15 54 W 55 8357 N 4 2649 W 55 8357 4 2649Websitepinkpeacock gay Contents 1 Establishment 2 Operation 2 1 Use of Yiddish 2 2 Anti police policy and tote bags 2 3 Handcuff key sales 2 4 Book burning 2 5 Closing 3 References 4 External linksEstablishment edit nbsp Cafe interior in November 2021Pink Peacock was founded by Morgan Holleb and Joe Isaac 3 both active participants in Irn Ju a Jewish anarchist collective in Scotland The founders formed plans to open a queer and Yiddish cafe in 2019 They chose the name Pink Peacock or די רא זעווע פ א ווע di rozeve pave in Yiddish after the golden peacock that is a traditional Yiddish symbol They were motivated by the lack of queer and Jewish spaces in Govanhill and the lack of Yiddish spaces in Scotland 1 the cafe was the country s first physical Yiddish focused space to open in decades 4 In July 2020 Pink Peacock campaigned to crowdfund 10 000 to cover the costs of running the cafe for three months They successfully raised a total of 15 885 by the end of the campaign in August 2020 1 The COVID 19 pandemic disrupted the planned opening of the cafe During the COVID 19 lockdowns Isaac and Holleb distributed packages of food in Govanhill and organized various queer and Jewish online events 1 Operation edit nbsp Receipt from Pink Peacock cafe with suggested pricePink Peacock operated on a pay what you can model telling customers the break even price but allowing them to pay any amount 1 5 The cafe was alcohol free and vegan 6 7 and had a community fridge outside the cafe stocked with food 5 In addition to food they sold what Jewish Currents described in 2021 as Jewish lefty merch 3 The cafe was run as a cooperative by workers and community members 8 Use of Yiddish edit Pink Peacock maintained a Yiddish version of its website and used the language on Twitter unlike many other Yiddish focused organizations In a 2020 article for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Holleb explained that Yiddish is a way of connecting with a Jewish language that isn t modern Hebrew There isn t Yiddish nationhood It is a diasporic language 4 Anti police policy and tote bags edit In June 2021 Pink Peacock was the subject of reporting in the tabloid The Scottish Sun which criticised their policy of no cops no terfs Subsequently the cafe s storefront was vandalised when a man painted over it 3 The cafe had also experienced vandalism a month prior to these events in May 2021 when a window had been smashed in an incident which also saw windows broken in adjacent branches of Farmfoods and Semichem 9 Additionally the coverage led to a complaint about the cafe displaying in its window a pink tote bag with the words fuck the police in English and Yiddish which in turn led Police Scotland to visit Holleb and Isaac s home 3 Holleb was subsequently charged with breach of the peace and Glasgow police seized one of the tote bags from Pink Peacock as evidence 3 9 After the seizure which was publicized in local media and on Pink Peacock s Twitter account the cafe sold out of the bags 8 Handcuff key sales edit On 30 September the cafe launched the sale of universal handcuff keys They were met with criticism on line as this coincided with the sentencing of a police officer convicted of the murder of Sarah Everard after falsely arresting her and restraining her in handcuffs The cafe later issued a statement claiming the keys had been promoted with the upcoming 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference protests in mind and not the Sarah Everard case and said the timing was insensitive 10 11 Book burning edit In May 2023 for the Jewish holiday of Lag BaOmer Pink Peacock members burned a copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on the pavement outside the cafe to protest what they believed to be transphobia and antisemitism from author J K Rowling A spokesperson denied that the act was similar to Nazi book burnings due to differences in power between a government and a cafe 12 Closing edit Pink Peacock closed on 14 June 2023 with the organisation citing a number of reasons including burnout right wing backlash antisemitism from the left and right and racism within the collective toward minority members 13 14 One volunteer said that the cafe had faced rumours from other left wing groups that the members were secretly wealthy American Jews exploiting workers They said the Socialist Workers Party was responsible for much of the abuse directed at the Pink Peacock 14 References edit a b c d e Metzer Anya 15 September 2020 Vashti meets Pink Peacock the world s first queer Yiddish cafe Vashti Media Archived from the original on 18 October 2020 Retrieved 21 March 2022 https twitter com dirozevepave status 1666016032044077059 a b c d e Angel Arielle 9 July 2021 The Yiddish Tote Rankling Glasgow Police Jewish Currents Archived from the original on 8 March 2022 Retrieved 8 March 2022 a b Judah Jacob 26 August 2020 The queer friendly Yiddish speaking anarchist run Pink Peacock cafe aims to spark a Jewish revolution in Glasgow Jewish Telegraphic Agency Archived from the original on 8 March 2022 Retrieved 8 March 2022 a b Hall Jake 28 June 2022 Inside the UK s queer pay as you want cafes Huck Magazine Retrieved 1 July 2022 Lipson Molly 10 December 2020 Jewish activists who are making a difference Reader s Digest Archived from the original on 8 March 2022 Retrieved 8 March 2022 Williams Craig 11 February 2020 There s a queer Yiddish anarchist vegan pay what you can cafe opening in Glasgow GlasgowLive Archived from the original on 8 March 2022 Retrieved 8 March 2022 a b Holmes Juwan J 19 June 2021 Officers attempt to storm a gay cafe to seize f ck the police merch It backfires LGBTQ Nation Archived from the original on 8 March 2022 Retrieved 8 March 2022 a b Wakefield Lily 17 June 2021 Cops seize f k the police tote bag from window of queer anarchist Jewish cafe PinkNews Archived from the original on 8 March 2022 Retrieved 8 March 2022 Marini Gianni 10 October 2021 Glasgow cafe offering keys to escape handcuffs ahead of COP26 protests STV Archived from the original on 10 October 2021 Retrieved 21 March 2022 pink peacock handcuff statement twitter pink peacock 3 October 2021 Archived from the original on 3 October 2021 Retrieved 21 March 2022 Morrison Hamish 11 May 2023 Pink Peacock staff burn Harry Potter book in Glasgow street The National Retrieved 10 September 2023 Murphy Sean 6 June 2023 Glasgow queer Yiddish anarchist vegan pay what you can cafe to close with heavy heart Glasgow Live Retrieved 10 September 2023 a b Shamir Jonathan 15 June 2023 Queer Yiddish Cafe in Scotland Shuts Doors After Antisemitic Abuse Haaretz Retrieved 10 September 2023 External links edit nbsp Media related to Pink Peacock at Wikimedia Commons Official website why we say fuck the police a statement from pink peacock די רא זעווע פ א ווע Av 5781 July 2021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pink Peacock amp oldid 1188887087, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
