Posted on 09/22/2004 11:00:10 PM PDT by Murtyo
Police have cancelled a concert by a reggae star whose lyrics are alleged to be homophobic.
Jamaican dancehall singer Buju Banton was scheduled to perform in Manchester, England tomorrow.
The decision to pull the concert follows protests by gay rights campaigners.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: Greater Manchester Polices City Centre Safe team and police officers in the city centre have been liaising closely with Manchester City Council and licensed premises in the city centre, following concerns about a reggae artist scheduled to perform at premises in Manchester.
Intelligence gathered about previous appearances of the artist and the implications of his previous performances suggest a likelihood of public disorder and the potential for disruption at his performances.
Taking into account this intelligence and concerns from various agencies and community groups, the performance has been cancelled.
Greater Manchester Police accepts the right to public freedom of expression but does not encourage anything which could cause possible hate or dissension within any community.
The Bierkeller, a venue in the Piccadilly area of the city, which has a capacity of around 360, said: Were just here to put on gigs and we dont get involved in the politics. But the police just told us to pull it.
In June, Jamaican reggae singer Beenie Man was forced to cancel a London concert after he was warned by police that his lyrics could be an incitement to violence against homosexuals.
The liberals face a dilemna: accept the "poetry" of their long-sponsored Caribbean blacks as genuine street-logic or risk angering another constituency: gays.
Many West Indies cultures do not have patience with homosexuals, and neither do most Latin cultures. Ditto for most African blacks. It goes way back and is part of their always-defended "heritage". Now we have competing interests, something inevitable when your diversity trumps your ideology.
This will be fun to watch. Who will be thrown in front of the bus? Poor black musicians or whining urban-raised wealthy fags?
Gay rights mean no freedom for anyone that doesn't agree with homosexual agenda.
England has been soft in the outhouse for years ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.