Activists are urging cinemas to boycott Sacha Baron Cohen’s forthcoming Ali G mockumentary, Ali G: Who Iz I?, arguing that the character is a racist caricature. The campaign has renewed debate over whether the satire targets cultural appropriation or perpetuates harmful stereotypes, ahead of the film’s planned October release.

UK media-bias watchdog NewsCord says it has helped organise 37,000 emails asking cinemas worldwide not to screen the Amazon MGM Studios film. Writer Afua Hirsch and other critics said the character’s portrayal is outdated and offensive, while supporters argue Ali G is intended to ridicule a white man’s misguided imitation of Black culture. No cinema chain had agreed to the boycott at the time of publication; Danish chain NFBIO said it would show the film in support of a broad and diverse programme.