Theatre today when the film "Malcolm X'' opens.

They are furious that the Little Theatre is associated with a theatre that banned black people in the past and is the only cinema screening the movie in Bermuda.

And the group behind the protest has organised a petition and an advert in The Royal Gazette encouraging people to boycott the cinema.

In a "Reminder From Malcolm,'' the group has stated: "Support your own. Read his work. See his film at your own discretion. The choice is yours. Your decision determines your future. Economics Vs. Ethics.'' But the Little Theatre management, father and son Raymond and Lee White, have stood by their decision to show the film and refuted allegations that the cinema secured the rights to screen the film using "back door methods.'' That complaint came from Liberty Theatre manager Ms Nelda Simons who said: "We were negotiating up until last Thursday through sources that we know to be quite legitimate. Their understanding was that Little was not participating at all.

"It came as a shock to me that Little had the movie. Little have secured distribution rights. That means they actually own the movie so no one else in Bermuda can show it.'' According to Ms Simons Liberty was involved in negotiations to have the movie distributed in Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

She said: "Little was not going through the source I was going through. I do not know how Mr. White secured the movie, unless he had some contacts that enabled him to go through the back door.'' In reference to the planned boycott she said: "People have called and I can only respect their rights to express their concerns''.

Mr. Lee White, co-owner of Little, said that the operators of the theatre had nothing to do with the running of a theatre in the same location 40 years ago.

He said: "Hopefully we're on the way to changing the thought that existed back then. I certainly don't agree with it. Our doors have been open to all since we opened five years ago and they will remain that way.

"Our job is to entertain and educate people. Hopefully the film will help people to understand what Malcolm X was all about. I am sure he would not be supportive of some of the views people are expressing.

"If there is a protest I am certain it will be peaceful because they cannot obstruct people coming into the theatre.

"I am sure it will not stop anyone coming in. We have already had a large number of bookings from all sections of the community.'' Mr. White said that the theatre has brought in top controversial movies such as JFK and Cry Freedom without any problems.

Stressing that the theatre does not have rights to distribute or sublet the movie in Bermuda, he said: "We only have a lease to that particular movie.

"We cannot tell the distributor who to send it to. And we do not have the power to tie up rights to the movie.

He said the theatre, through its buyer in the US, made arrangements to lease the movie for two-and-a-half weeks.'' Businessman Mr. Raymond Davis said the movie was as much for whites as it was for blacks. But he said instead of viewing Malcolm X as a role model, focus should be on El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz -- the name Malcolm took when he left the Nation of Islam and teachings of black separatism and converted to traditional Islam and worked toward bringing about human rights.

Mr. Davis said the same ideology that killed El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz in 1965 is still alive today.