London,  September 13, 2004 – Jamaican police have confirmed that a warrant has been issued for the arrest of  homophobic reggae star Buju Banton who is alleged to have caused grievous bodily harm in a “gay-bashing” attack in Kingston, Jamaica.

Superintendent Aston Thompson of the Jamaican police has confirmed the existence of the arrest warrant against the singer who is about to start a short UK tour at the weekend.

Banton, who advocates shooting queers in the head, is about to begin a UK tour, including concerts in London, Milton Keynes and Manchester..

He is scheduled to kick off the tour at the Hail Kings of Glory ’04 concert the Coronet Cinema, Elephant and Castle, London SE1, this Sunday September 19, with performances at the Empire, South Row, Milton Keynes, on September 22, and at the Bierkeller in Piccadilly Manchester on the following night.

Despite Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, being wanted on alleged gay-bashing charges, his live concert in London is sponsored by the The Voice and New Nation newspapers.

In the summer, the Home Office indicated that Banton would be banned from entering the UK following the singer's conviction in a Jamaican court on a charge of possession and cultivation of marijuana.  He was fined JA$9,000 or 60 days imprisonment.

Rules on foreigners entering the UK state that where a person has been convicted of an offence outside the UK and the same offence carries a punishment of 12 months in prison if convicted of the same offence in UK, the person would normally be refused entry, except in cases of compassionate reasons.

In UK, the maximum sentence for cultivating marijuana is 14 years imprisonment.

Banton fell foul of American entry regulations for those convicted on drugs charges when he was detained for 18 hours at Miami Airport before being deported back to Jamaica.

“Banton's big hit song, Boom Bye Bye, incites the execution-style killing of gay and lesbian people,” said Peter Tatchell of the gay human rights group OutRage! which is lobbying to have Banton removed from the concert line-ups. “He urges listeners to shoot queers in the head, pour acid over them, set them alight, and burn them like car tyres.”

“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,” he went on.

“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 (click here for full text of Amnesty's letter to the singer and his agent).

“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 and to Volker Peschel, 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.

“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 September 19 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,” Lock suggested.

“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.

Useful Link

Stop Murder Music Campaign

An opposing view on the OutRage! campaign can be found on the Black Information Link (UK) website.

To comment on this article, or any others, please visit our Readers' Forum (membership available, but not required)

13  September, 2004