May 31, 2008 14:09

My Chemical Romance fans protest at Daily Mail offices

Fans attack paper for 'scapegoating bands' in emo coverage

Photo Gallery: My Chemical Romance
Photo: Danny North

Fans of My Chemical Romance have protested outside the offices of British newspaper the Daily Mail this afternoon (May 31) in response to articles they have published about emo.

The protest began at noon (BST) and saw around 40 fans - a number agreed with police ahead of the demonstration - cramming into Derry Street outside the newspaper's building.

The fans filled the street with placards and banners with slogans like "I'm Not Afraid To Keep On Living" and "We're Not A Cult, We're An Army – The MCRMY" and sung a selection of My Chemical Romance songs.

"It's been brilliant, such a good atmosphere. We've all united for a good cause," protestor Katie Hughes, 15, from Dorking told NME.COM. "Most people here always listened to My Chemical Romance positively."

The protest has been peaceful and broadly good natured with police telling NME.COM that the protesters have "kept well within the law and organised everything beforehand. It's going fine."

Alongside the protest, a bigger group of fans, believed to be in the hundreds, have congregated nearby at Marble Arch where they are holding a vigil that is expected to last until around 10pm (BST). More information on the march can be found at whatthefrank.co.uk.

The fans are protesting about a series of articles the paper published in the aftermath of the suicide of Hannah Bond, a My Chemical Romance fan and comments the coroner made at her inquest criticising emo's influence in her death. One piece in particular claimed that "no child is safe from the sinister cult of emo".

The Daily Mail though has issued a statement in reaction to the protest insisting that its coverage has been balanced and restrained.

However protestor Dani (who did not giver her surname), 14, from London was not impressed with their articles.

"This isn't the first time the Mail has had a go at bands and made them scapegoats," she declared. "I think most of it is just ignorance, they always have to have someone to blame."

Get next week's issue of NME, on UK newsstands from Wednesday (June 4) for more coverage of the emo march, and in the meantime have your say on the issue by commenting below.