Watch Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s Son Burn Over $6 Million in Punk Memorabilia

This past weekend, Joe Corré (the son of punk icons Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood) hosted Burn Punk London, an event where he burned his valuable collection of punk memorabilia. He began the proceedings by setting ablaze his acetate copy of Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy in the U.K.” The acetate burning took place a couple of days before the 40th anniversary of the record’s release. On the anniversary, November 26, set even more items on fire. They included a pair of bondage trousers from his childhood, live punk recordings, and a pair of Johnny Rotten’s pants, according to The New York Times; the collection is valued at approximately £5 million (about $6.25 million). Below, watch the punk artifacts burn, and hear speeches from Corré and Westwood, who discusses climate change and the current migrant crisis. 

Corré’s Burn Punk London event was in protest of the city’s ongoing official Punk London exhibition, sponsored by British institutions such as the BFI, the British Library, and the Museum of London. In March, Corré said, “The Queen giving 2016, the Year of Punk, her official blessing is the most frightening thing I’ve ever heard.” He added, “Talk about alternative and punk culture being appropriated by the mainstream. Rather than a movement for change, punk has become like a fucking museum piece or a tribute act.”

Listen to “Anarchy in the U.K.”:

via Matthew Strauss