Harry Potter shop opens amid trans rights protest

The Harry Potter Shop on Oxford Street opened on Wednesday, November 4, as fans queued to enter and trans-rights protesters demonstrated outside, chanting slogans and displaying placards. The protest was peaceful during the period observed by one report, while store staff and private security managed the crowds. The shop, described as the largest Harry Potter store in the United Kingdom, occupies two floors and is designed around locations from the series, including Diagon Alley. It features a Butterbeer bar. Fans began gathering before the store’s 10 a.m. opening, with some travelling from abroad to visit. Hundreds of fans attended, according to a store spokesperson. Demonstrators used megaphones and signs bearing messages including “trans rights are human rights” and “protect trans lives.” Reports gave different estimates of the group, ranging from six people gathered directly outside to around a dozen nearby; they did not establish that the estimates covered the same area or moment. An organizer identified as West said the protest was intended to raise awareness of what West described as J.K. Rowling’s hostility toward transgender people. West cited Rowling’s donation to a...