World

Don’t cross the Red Cross

A comic pantomime production of Robin Hood in Glasgow allegedly violated the Geneva Conventions…

A comic pantomime production of Robin Hood in Glasgow allegedly violated the Geneva Conventions when nurse Ima Poltis rushed on stage wearing a hat and tunic bearing Red Cross emblems. According to a letter from the Red Cross, addressed to management at the Pavilion Theatre, unauthorized uses of the sign, “no matter how beneficial or inconsequential they may seem,” would diminish its special significance “and potentially lives may be lost.”

The protection of the symbol for the Red Cross is legislated by the conventions, and improper use—from first-aid supplies to children’s toys or video games—can land offenders in the International Court in the Hague. So the theatre replaced the scarlet crosses on the costume with green ones, following advice by the organization “to avoid pink, orange, burgundy or maroon.” Theatre manager Ian Gordon did not see what all the fuss was about. He told the Express, “While I understand the good work that this organization does,” there are “more pressing matters throughout the world. A small red cross on a stage for four minutes in a panto in Glasgow is unlikely to cost lives.”

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