Countdown presenter Rachel Riley condemned for wearing doctored anti-apartheid image to attack Jeremy Corbyn

Countdown presenter Rachel Riley has rarely shied away from political debate.

The presenter and mathematician has been an outspoken critic of the Labour Party’s handling of antisemitism allegations and a vocal supporter of Israel.

Riley has also been a regular critic of Jeremy Corbyn, who she has frequently labelled “racist” and “antisemitic”, allegations which the Labour leader has always denied.

Following the leadership debate between Corbyn and Boris Johnson earlier this week, Riley took to Twitter to post a picture of herself wearing an anti-Corbyn t-shirt.

Riley said:

I don’t endorse Boris, but I do endorse #NeverCorbyn.

But people quickly took exception to Riley’s t-shirt, which reads:

Jeremy Corbyn is a racist endeavour.

Especially considering that the image on the t-shirt is a doctored version of a famous image of Jeremy Corbyn being arrested protesting against apartheid.

The original image, taken of Corbyn in 1984, shows the future Labour leader being led away by police with a banner that reads:

Defend the right to demonstrate against Apartheid.

On Twitter, people voiced anger that Riley had “erased” the anti-apartheid message to call someone protesting apartheid a “racist”.

indy100 has contacted representatives of Rachel Riley for comment.

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