We call on Mayor Sadiq Khan and the organisers of Oxford Street's Christmas celebrations to stand firm and allow the planned Harry Potter-themed Christmas lights to go ahead.

A petition reportedly signed by around 3,500 people is calling for the display to be cancelled because of objections to J.K. Rowling's views on transgender issues.

But should the objections of 3,500 people dictate what millions of Harry Potter fans, Londoners and visitors are allowed to enjoy? We believe the answer is a resounding NO.

Harry Potter is one of Britain's greatest literary and cultural success stories. The books have inspired generations of children and adults around the world, celebrating friendship, courage, loyalty and the triumph of good over evil.

The Harry Potter books themselves do not discuss transgender issues, and the proposed Christmas lights have nothing to do with the debate surrounding them.** They celebrate a much-loved fictional world that has brought joy to millions.

J.K. Rowling has expressed her personal views on transgender issues. Whether we agree with those views or not, she is perfectly entitled to hold and express them in a free and democratic society. Freedom of expression must include the right to hold opinions that others find controversial or disagreeable.

Disagreement with an author's personal views should not automatically become grounds for cancelling celebrations of her literary achievements.

Those who find the display offensive are entirely free to avoid it or choose not to shop on Oxford Street. But their personal objections should not deprive millions of others of the opportunity to enjoy it.*

Tolerance works both ways. A genuinely inclusive society is one in which people with different beliefs can coexist, not one in which the loudest objections determine what everyone else is permitted to celebrate.

Oxford Street's Christmas lights are an important London tradition, bringing joy to families, attracting international visitors and supporting businesses in the capital.

Cancelling this display would set a troubling precedent: that cultural celebrations can be abandoned whenever a relatively small but vocal group objects to the views of someone associated with them.

We therefore urge Mayor Sadiq Khan to:

1. Support the Harry Potter-themed Christmas lights going ahead as planned.
2. Recognise that 3,500 signatures, however sincerely motivated, do not establish the wishes of millions of Londoners and Harry Potter fans.
3. Defend freedom of expression and the right to enjoy cultural and literary works independently of their creators' personal opinions.
4. Uphold London's reputation as an open, tolerant and culturally vibrant city where people are free to disagree without demanding that others abandon what they enjoy.

Freedom of expression is not freedom from encountering things we disagree with.

Harry Potter belongs to the imaginations of millions of readers around the world. Its magic should not become a casualty of political disagreements.

Mayor Khan, let the lights shine. Let London celebrate. Let the magic live on!

Sign this petition if you believe in freedom of expression, tolerance, personal choice and keeping the magic of Christmas alive on Oxford Street.