Protest targets reggae singer

A top Jamaican reggae artist has been forced to cancel the first gig of his five-venue British tour after protests by gay rights campaigners who said his lyrics appeared to incite the killing of homosexuals.

Sizzla Kalonji, whose real name is Miguel Collins, was booked to play at the Empire Nightclub in Milton Keynes northwest of London on Wednesday, but the venue scrapped the performance at the last minute.

The decision followed the headline-grabbing weekend killing of a barman, beaten to death by youths apparently targeting people leaving the well-known gay London nightclub Heaven.

British officials said they were considering whether to allow Sizzla’s tour to go ahead. This could mean imposing a ban on him entering the country. He was unavailable for comment.

From Reuters