London Indymedia

Buju Banton wanted for gay-bashing

OutRage! News Service | 16.07.2004 18:30 | Gender | London | World

Top reggae star wanted on assault charges after gay men attacked in Kingston, Jamaica.

Buju Banton
Buju Banton


According to Amnesty International in London, Buju Banton, one of the most notorious Jamaican dancehall artists, whose lyrics incite the murder of lesbians and gay men, was identified by witnesses as part of gang who attacked four gay men in their home. Jamaican police are now seeking to interview Banton in connection with this attack.

With hit songs like "Boom bye-bye (in a battyboy's head)", Banton has been the focus of an OutRage! campaign to stop “murder music”.

“Critics of the campaign have said that the homophobic content of his lyrics is ‘metaphorical’ or just ‘fantasy’. Now the star is wanted for a very real violent incident,” said Brett Lock of OutRage!

Buju Banton, who's real name is Mark Myrie, is accused of participating in the beating of four men in Carlisle Avenue on June 24. One of the men's arms was reportedly broken in the alleged beating after they were accused of being in a gay relationship.

“This substantiates our claim that there are clear links between murder music and actual violent attacks against lesbians and gays,” added OutRage! campaigner, Peter Tatchell.

“OutRage! has been campaigning over the past two years for the prosecution of Jamaican dancehall artists whose lyrics incite and glorify the murder of gay people. The campaign, which has been taken up internationally by other gay and human rights activists, has resulted in concert cancellations in Europe and the United States.”

See also:
 http://www.outrage.org.uk/briefing.asp?ID=43
 http://www.outrage.org.uk/briefing.asp?ID=86

OutRage! News Service
- e-mail: media@outrage.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.outrage.org.uk

Comments

Display the following 6 comments

  1. Blacks have gone racist...........whos to blame? — George Soilis
  2. Outrage fueling hatred — Kaya
  3. Whose fueling who? — Brett Lock
  4. He Did — Robert
  5. Misinterpretation — Tim
  6. easy — e raida

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