Pianist slams 'ridiculous' demand from flag-waving Chinese tourists not to film them as he performs at busy London station: Musician says 'communists' are trying to get his video 'taken down'… and transport police ALSO told him don't upload it
A pianist has rejected a “ridiculous” demand from flag-waving Chinese tourists not to film them while he performed at a busy London station.
Brendan Kavanagh, who regularly plays boogie-woogie tunes at London's St Pancras station, was live streaming yesterday on YouTube when he was approached by a group of Chinese tourists.
A woman explained that she worked for Chinese TV and aasked if they were in view of his camera before asking him to stop filming.
In the video, uploaded to X, the tourists gather around the pianist who repeatedly explains that he is allowed to film because they are in a public place. “We're in Britain, we're not in China,” he tells them.
After footage of the altercation went viral on social media, Mr Kavanagh made an appearance TalkTV where he slammed the 'ridiculous' demand – including from a British Transport police officer who asked him not to upload the photo.
Brendan Kavanagh (pictured at the piano), who regularly goes to the station to play boogie woogie tunes, was streaming live on YouTube when he was approached by a woman from the tourist group
Last night he said: 'It was a comedy of errors, but it raises a lot of serious questions about stupid rules, authoritarianism and also our own British culture, how to stand up to stupidity.'
During the meeting with the tourists, Mr Kavanagh explained that in Britain filming in public is perfectly legal, but he was still threatened with legal action and even called 'racist' for telling the tourists that 'this China is not'.
'The man used the r-word. As soon as you say “you're racist” the British police just melt. It was so ridiculous,” he said on TalkTV.
This comes after one of two police officers, who were walking past and stopped due to the loud argument, told the pianist: 'This shouldn't appear on your channel', as Mr Kavanagh continued filming after officers intervened.
“I was so happy that I actually had it filmed because if I told them this, people wouldn't believe me, but the fact that it was on a live stream… It was completely spontaneous and now the world has seen it,” he added to it.
Before officers arrived, the situation escalated from polite protest against the filming to shouted demands when Mr Kavanagh was accused of 'trying to touch' one of the female tourists after apparently pointing at the Chinese flag she was holding.
A male member of the group, who was the most vocal in his complaints against the filming, suddenly started shouting, 'Why are you touching her? Don't touch her again. Do not touch her.'
He added: 'You're not the same age, don't touch her.' The woman intervened and said, “Don't shoot him, don't shoot him. What's the problem?'
The woman (pictured) told him she worked for Chinese TV and asked if they were in view of his camera, then said 'not allowed'.
The tourists, wearing red scarves, gathered around the pianist, who repeatedly explained to them that he was allowed to film because they were in a public place. “We are in Britain, we are not in China,” he added
Mr Kavanagh said on TalkTV last night (pictured) that when interacting with the tourists it was 'all about what I couldn't do and what they could do'.
Mr. Kavanagh, also known as Dr. K, was apparently confused after being shouted at and defended himself by saying he had only touched the flag.
The pianist repeatedly pointed to the small red flags with five yellow stars, which he claimed were communist flags.
One of the tourists said Mr Kavanagh needed to 'educate' himself as the flag is not a Communist Party flag – which would depict a yellow hammer and sickle instead of the five stars.
The woman who allegedly touched the pianist said she was “here to celebrate the New Year” and did not want to be filmed.
The pair repeatedly accused Mr Kavanagh of 'disrespecting their right' by filming them, but the pianist again pointed out that he is allowed to film them because there is no expectation of privacy in a public place in Britain.
As the police officers approached, a tourist told the male officer that Mr Kavanagh had filmed them and they asked him to delete the footage, but he refused.
“You're in a public place,” the police officer explained repeatedly – until the female officer intervened and told the cameraman, “Excuse me, if we have a police case, you need to put that phone down.”
Mr Kavanagh then addressed his viewers as officers took the tourists aside. He said, 'TThe Chinese Communist Party said we weren't allowed to film here.”
Afterwards, the policewoman warned him: 'This is not allowed on your channel, this is me talking to you.' But Mr. Kavanagh interrupted and said, “Listen, wWe're in Britain, we're in a public space, it's a free country.'
The officer added: “The point is they are saying you made communist comments to them,” but Mr Kavanagh denied this, adding he only said they were waving communist flags.
One of the two police officers (pictured behind the pianist), who were walking past and stopped because of the loud argument, told the pianist 'this shouldn't appear on your channel' as Mr Kavanagh continued filming after the officers intervened.
The situation quickly escalated after Mr Kavanagh was accused of 'touching' one of the female tourists after apparently pointing at the Chinese flag she was holding. One of the tourists shouted at him, which the pianist responded with a confused look (pictured here)
She also asked him about the accusation that he tried to touch one of the tourists, which the pianist denied. He said: 'I tried not to touch her, that's why I have a camera.'
'She [the tourists] have requested that the video of them approaching you be removed and not used on your channel […] They work for a company and their faces should not be shown on TV or on anyone's channel,” she told Kavanagh.
Eventually, the tourists and police officers moved one, allowing Mr. Kavanagh to end his livestream with more boogie-woogie songs after declaring, “Freedom of speech takes precedence.”
Mr Kavanagh said on TalkTV last night that when interacting with the tourists it was 'all about what I couldn't do and what they could do'.
'I thought, damn, we're in London and I've got a bunch of Chinese people telling me what I can't do. And I thought enough is enough,” he explained.
MailOnline has contacted the British Transport Police for comment.