Buju Banton Concert – London – This Sunday

--- Urgent action ---

7 – 9 PM Sunday 19 September 2004
Outside Coronet Cinema
10 New Kent Road, London SE1
(start of New Kent Rd, by the Elephant & Castle shopping centre and
roundabout.)
Nearest tube: Elephant & Castle

It is very important that we protest outside Buju Banton’s concert
this Sunday, 19 September. We must register our opposition to his
murderous incitements (see news release below).

Please circulate this email to all your friends. Let’s pull together
to get a big crowd to show that murder-music is not wanted.

Because reggae concert-goers are likely to be arriving at the same
time, en route to the protest you are advised not to wear badges or
t-shirts that signal that you are gay or lesbian.

The protest has been organized with the co-operation of the police,
who will ensure our safety, but the best safety of all is large
numbers of people joining us.

Please don’t leave it to other people! Our whole community needs to
stand together.

Further information from:
Tel: 0770 843 5917
Email:  protest@outrage.org.uk

-------------

Reggae star faces gay-bash charges

Call to cancel Buju Banton’s London concert

London – 16 September 2004

Jamaican reggae superstar Buju Banton, who advocates shooting queers
in the head, and who faces arrest on charges of queer-bashing, is
scheduled to perform at the Hail Kings of Glory ’04 concert the
Coronet cinema, Elephant and Castle, London SE1, this Sunday 19
September 2004.

OutRage! has written a letter of protest to Simon Parks, the manager
of the Coronet (copy below).

The Jamaican police have issued an arrest warrant for Buju Banton on
charges of causing “grievous bodily harm” in a gay-bashing attack in
Kingston, Jamaica, on 24 June 2004.

Despite Mr Banton being wanted on queer-bashing charges, his live
concert in London is sponsored by the 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,” said Peter Tatchell, of the gay human rights group
OutRage!, which is lobbying to have Banton taken off the concert
line-ups.

“Amnesty International and the Jamaican gay rights group J-Flag
confirm that Buju Banton is wanted by the Jamaican police over an
armed attack on a group of gay men in their home.

“The allegations of Banton’s involvement in this violent homophobic
assault are corroborated by Amnesty International in a letter to Mr
Banton dated 19 August 2004 (see excerpts from the Amnesty letter
below).

“The existence of a warrant for Mr Banton’s arrest has been confirmed by Supt Thompson of the Jamaican police at Constant Spring police station to a BBC journalist based in Jamaica, a journalist from the Die Hamburg Morgenpost in Germany. In addition, one of the victims of the attack on 24 June was given the same confirmation from Constable Linton at Jamaica’s Constant Spring police station,” added Mr Tatchell.

Full Boom Bye Bye lyrics (and translations) below.

“Boom Bye Bye is probably the most murderous incitement recorded by any singer anywhere in the world,” added Tatchell.

“Banton still performs Boom Bye Bye, most recently on Sunday 8 August 2004 at the Smirnoff Festival in Negril, Jamaica, as reported in the Jamaican press.

“The record remains on sale. He re-released it on his recent Greatest Hits album.

“Banton is still making money from his incitement to kill gay people.

“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?

“Because Boom Bye Bye is Banton’s biggest ever hit, he nearly always
performs it at live concerts,” said Mr Tatchell.

Banton’s 19 September concert at the Coronet is organised by Bagga
John, CEO of BJ Productions, one of Britain’s leading reggae music
promoters.

“We urge venue managements and local councils to use their licensing
and contractual powers get Banton dropped from the concert line up,”
added OutRage! co-organiser Brett Lock.

“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.

“Free speech does not include the right to commit the criminal offence
of incitement to murder.

“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”, said Mr Lock.

---------

Amnesty International statement, 19 August 2004, issued by Susan Lee,
Programme Director – Americas, International Secretariat, AI London:

“We can confirm that Amnesty International has received information
from reputable national and international human rights organisations
concerning reports that Buju Banton was involved in a homophobic
attack. These reports take the form of statements that allege that on
June 24 2004, six men were driven from their home and beaten by a
group of armed men, and that the alleged assailants included Buju
Banton (Mark Anthony Myrie). The reports further allege that this
attack was apparently motivated by hatred of gay men: the victims
reported that both before and during the attack the assailants had
called the men “battymen” (homosexuals). Amnesty International is
further aware that several of the alleged victims were interviewed by
a Human Rights Watch researcher who was in Jamaica at the time.
Amnesty International has also received reports that several of the
alleged victims made official reports to the Constant Spring police
station on 25 June 2004.“

Note:

For more background info on the “Stop Murder Music” campaign, see:
 http://www.outrage.org.uk/briefing.asp?ID=43

-----------------

Buju Banton - Boom Bye Bye

Summary:
This song incites the execution-style killing of gay and lesbian
people, by shooting them in the head, pouring acid over them or
setting them alight, and burning them like car tyres.

The Jamaican patios lyrics are followed, line by line, by
translations
into standard English

Anytime Buju Banton come
Anytime Buju Banton comes

Batty bwoy get up an run
Faggots get up and run……

Chorus:
Boom bye bye
Boom (gun shot) bye bye (Goodbye, as in you're dead)

Inna batty bwoy head
In a faggot's head

Rude bwoy no promote no nasty man
Rude boy don't promote any nasty (queer) man

Dem haffi dead
They have to die…..

Verse
Send fi di matic an
Send for the automatic (gun) and

Di Uzi instead
The Uzi (gun) instead

Shoot dem no come if we shot dem-
Shoot them, don't come (to help them) if we shoot them……

Guy come near we
If a guy comes near me

Then his skin must peel
Then his skin must peel
(Note: In Jamaica, pouring acid on an individual is a common
revenge tactic)

Burn him up bad like an old tire wheel
Burn him up bad like an old tyre

------------------

Manager
Coronet
New Kent Road
London SE1

12 September 2004

Dear Simon Parks,

Buju Banton - Hail Kings of Glory ’04 concert, Coronet, 19 September
2004

I am writing to you on behalf of the lesbian and gay human rights
group OutRage!

I emailed you on 26 August but have had no reply. This letter is an
update, providing new information about gay-bashing charges pending
against Buju Banton.

The Jamaican police have issued an arrest warrant for Buju Banton on
charges of causing “grievous bodily harm” in a gay-bashing attack in
Kingston, Jamaica, on 24 June 2004. This can be confirmed by
contacting DCI Clive Driscoll of the Metropolitan Police on 07730 050
908.

Attached are corroborations from Amnesty International (including
reference to information from Human Rights Watch in New York), and
from the Jamaican gay rights group J-Flag (001 876 978 8988). Both
confirm that Buju Banton is wanted by the Jamaican police in
connection with the afore-mentioned assault.

The existence of a warrant for Mr Banton’s arrest has been confirmed
by Supt Thompson of the Jamaican police at Constant Spring police
station to a BBC journalist based in Jamaica, Nina Robinson (001 876
969 8304), and to Volker Peschel, a journalist from the Die Hamburg
Morgenpost in Germany (00 49 4088 303 307). In addition, Amnesty
International in London have also received details from an informant
that an arrest warrant has been issued, and one of the victims of the
attack on 24 June was given the same confirmation from Constable
Linton at Jamaica’s Constant Spring police station.

In these circumstances, it would be irresponsible and unethical for
the Coronet to host a singer who is wanted by the police on
allegations of violent assaults against gay men. Apart from being
insensitive and offensive to the gay-bash victims and the wider gay
community, it will also do your venue’s reputation immeasurable public
harm.

In addition, if the concert goes ahead with Buju Banton on stage there
will be protests. Feelings are running very high in the lesbian and
gay community. We fear serious public disorder – but not on our part.

OutRage! will protest peacefully outside, come what may. There is a
possibility we will face violent attack by Banton fans, many of whom
share his intense homophobic hatred (we were assaulted outside the
MOBO Awards ceremony in 2002, and only escaped serious injury thanks
to our quick thinking and rapid-response police protection).

We have already had threats to kill us from reggae fans. It is not
inconceivable that there may be an attempt on our lives during the
protest. We will not be cowed by such threats. It is our intention to
protest peacefully as planned.

If the concert goes ahead and there are serious injuries, much of the
media and general public are likely to point the finger of blame at
the venue and promoter for allowing the concert to happen. Is that a
risk you are prepared to take? We hope not.

It is our request that the Coronet does not host a singer who
continues to regularly perform his murderous incitement to homophobic
violence – Boom Bye Bye (most recently on 8 August at a concert in
Negril, Jamaica) – and who is, himself, apparently implicated in real
life violence against gay people.

Even if Mr Banton agrees not to sing Boom Bye Bye, hosting him at your
venue is collusion with a person who has advocated the killing of
other human beings. It is rewarding and giving legitimacy to a singer
who has incited murder – a criminal offence.

Allowing Banton to perform, providing he does not sing Boom Bye Bye,
is like agreeing to host a neo-Nazi artist on the condition he does
not sing about gassing Jews.

For all these many reasons, venue managers and promoters across Europe
have cancelled Banton’s performances. His entire Scandanavian tour has
been axed, together with his concerts in Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg
and three other German cities.

We appeal to you to follow their example and cancel the performance of
Buju Banton at the Coronet on 19 September.

This issue is not about mere homophobia. Banton does more than
criticise homosexuality and insult gay people. He openly advocates the
murder of lesbians and gay men.

His song Boom Bye Bye urges listeners to shoot queers in the head,
pour acid over them and burn them alive.

These murderous lyrics have been linked to a rise in homophobic
violence, both here in Britain and in Jamaica.

It is totally inappropriate, and disastrous PR, for the Coronet to
host a singer so deeply implicated in murderous incitements and
alleged acts of violence against lesbian and gay people.

We have no objection to any of the other performers. We are happy for
the concert to proceed, providing Mr Banton is not part of the bill.

Indeed, we celebrate and salute Jamaican reggae music, which has made
a huge, positive contribution to black and world culture. Our
objection is solely to singers like Banton who incite the murder of
lesbians and gay men.

The news release below explains in full our objections to Mr Banton,
details his murderous lyrics, and explains why we believe his
performance should be cancelled.

But please let us reiterate once more that Buju Banton does not merely
express his disapproval of homosexuality. He calls for all homosexuals
to be killed and incites his listeners to go out and murder gays and
lesbians. This goes way beyond an acceptable expression of opinion.
Lesbian and gay people have a right to live their lives free from
threats to kill them.

Inciting murder is a criminal offence. Giving a platform to Banton
could render the Coronet liable to prosecution for aiding and abetting
the crime of incitement to murder.

As you may know, the Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service
are conducting a criminal investigation into Banton and those who aid
and abet him.

Inciting violence against any human being for any reason is totally
unacceptable.

Free speech does not include the right to encourage the criminal act
of murder.

Even if Banton agrees not to sing his “kill queers” songs at the
Coronet, it would still be wrong to have him on the stage. Singers who
incite the murder of gay people (or anyone else) should be shunned,
not rewarded.

By giving Banton any kind of platform you would be colluding with a
performer who wants us queers dead. It would signal that you see
people who incite murder as legitimate, acceptable performers. They
are not.

OutRage! is sure the Coronet would not host a singer who urged the
killing of black or Jewish people. We ask you show the same ‘zero
tolerance’ of a singer who incites homophobic violence and murder.

Take the example of a singer with neo-Nazi sympathies, who had
previously released a song calling for the gassing of Jews. Would you
host them if they promised not to sing their anti-Semitic diatribes?
We think not. You would wisely and responsibly take the view that
having expressed such bigoted, murderous sentiments the singer was
beyond the pale and should not be hosted – even they agreed to limit
their set-list to cover versions of Cliff Richard songs.

We ask the Coronet to adopt the same stance towards singers who incite
the murder of lesbians and gay men.

Many of the fans of Banton share his violent homophobia. In the past,
they have reacted to the music by threatening and bashing homosexuals.
We do not wish to see a repeat of this homophobic violence on the
streets of London.

We are sure that as a responsible business, with a sizeable
liberal-minded audience, the Coronet would not wish to associate with,
or help promote, singers who incite the killing of other human
beings.

OutRage! urges you to take immediate action to ensure that the
invitation for Buju Banton to perform at the Coronet is withdrawn, on
the grounds of possible public disorder and the danger that their
performance may provoke assaults on lesbians and gay men.

Please confirm receipt of this letter, and advise us of your
decision.

Details of Banton’s lyrics follow below, after the news release.

Many thanks for your consideration,

Peter Tatchell and Brett Lock
OutRage!

ENDS