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Weekly Worker 544 Thursday September 16 2004

Outrage

Call to cancel tour

Jamaican reggae superstar Buju Banton, who advocates shooting queers in the head, and who faces arrest on charges of queer-bashing, is about to begin a UK tour, including concerts in London, Manchester and Milton Keynes, starting on Sunday September 19.

The Jamaican police have issued an arrest warrant for Banton on charges of causing “grievous bodily harm” in an anti-gay attack in Kingston, Jamaica, on June 24. But despite being wanted on queer-bashing charges, his live concert in London is sponsored by The Voice and New Nation newspapers.
Banton’s big hit song, Boom bye bye, incites the execution-style killing of gay and lesbian people. He urges listeners to shoot queers in the head, pour acid over them, set them alight and burn them like car tyres. Boom bye bye is probably the most murderous incitement recorded by any singer anywhere in the world, yet he still performs it - most recently on Sunday August 8 at the Smirnoff Festival in Negril, Jamaica, as reported in the Jamaican press. The record remains on sale and was re-released on his recent ‘Greatest hits’ album.

Buju Banton’s PR agents are falsely claiming he has apologised for these murderous lyrics. It is true that his record company put out an ‘apology’ some years ago, but Banton immediately denied apologising and even attacked his own record company for doing so. If he is sorry, why is Banton still performing Boom bye bye, re-releasing it and making money out of it?

We urge venue managements and local councils to use their licensing and contractual powers get Banton dropped from the concert line-up. Banton’s incitement of homophobic violence clearly contravenes the equal opportunities policies of the local authorities, where his concerts are being held.
If the venues will not willingly cancel Banton’s performance, Southwark and Manchester councils should oppose the renewal of their entertainment and alcohol licences. Giving a platform to a singer who encourages and glorifies the killing of other human beings is unacceptable. Any venue that promotes a pro-murder singer is unfit to hold a licence.

With the prospect of protests by lesbian and gay rights campaigners, the police should urge cancellation of the concerts on the grounds that it may lead to public disorder and could result in homophobic violence by fans leaving the event, many of whom share Banton’s aggressive hatred of lesbians and gay men.

It is very important we stop this concert in order to show that ‘murder music’ does not pay. If violent homophobia becomes a popular musical genre, it will almost certainly be followed by a rise in anti-gay assaults.
Outrage

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