Fox News quotes Monty Python joke when reporting Seattle protests as John Cleese mocks blunder

‘I thought we had an autonomous collective’

John Cleese has delighted in an embarrassing blunder by Fox News after one of its anchor’s mistook a Monty Python quote for a serious piece of evidence.

The broadcaster favoured by Donald Trump was covering demonstrations in Seattle when host Martha MacCallum read from a Reddit post.

She cited the excerpt as evidence of infighting in the autonomous zone set up by protesters in the city, which they have named CHAZ (the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone).

Sharing a screenshot of the post titled “I didn’t vote for Raz” – in apparent reference to rapper Raz Simone, the alleged unofficial leader of CHAZ – Ms MacCullum read out: “I thought we had an autonomous collective.”

“An anarcho-syndicalist commune at the least,” she continued, “We should take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week.”

In fact, the message is lifted, almost word-for-word, from a scene in the 1975 comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

In the clip, King Arthur approaches two peasants – played by Terry Jones and Michael Palin – and declares himself their leader.

But one of the peasants, Dennis, informs the king that he and his cohorts have set up their own form of government, prompting a debate over who’s really in charge.

"We're an anarcho-syndicalist commune," says the character played by Palin.

"We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week.”

The Reddit post even referenced someone who "threw a sword" — which belongs to the legend of King Arthur, although this was not picked up by Fox News.

Monty Python - In pictures

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It was, however, picked up by social media users, including Cleese, who starred in the 1970s film.

He tweeted: “BREAKING: No one @FoxNews has ever seen @montypython & The Holy Grail. #runit #goodjournalism #factchecking.”

He later shared a photoshopped picture of himself in regal dress, he wrote: “After much in-house fighting amongst members of #CHAZ they have unanimously elected a strong and capable new leader.

“Please report @FoxNews. And it should be noted he's quite capable of walking down ramps and drinking water properly.”

CHAZ was formed amid wide scale anti-racism protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

President Trump and Fox News have branded as anarchists those involved in CHAZ anarchists and claimed they're involved with Antifia, a far-left militant group.

In fact, the police-free settlement has remained largely peaceful, with people camping, drinking, and playing music.

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