New Zealand uses threats against young Australian woman activist to ban rap artist

Media Release

The New Zealand Immigration department today barred rap collective Odd Future from entry into the country based on evidence of incitement to violence against a young Australian woman activist.

Odd Future had been a last minute addition to Eminem’s Rapture tour. New Zealand Immigration began investigating claims of incitement to violence in the U.S and Australia before determining to cancel the group’s visas.

Talitha Stone, a Collective Shout activist, was part of a campaign last year calling on Australian Immigration authorities to revoke the visa issued to Tyler the Creator of Odd Future. She argued his lyrics glorified extreme violence against women. The artist shared one of her critical tweets with his 1.7 million followers, many of whom then threatened to rape her.  One said he would “cut off her tits”.

Ms. Stone attended Tyler the Creator’s Sydney concert to gather research for the campaign. She became the target of his abuse, when he unleashed a tirade of verbal assaults as the crowd cheered. Tyler then went on to dedicate his song “Bitch suck dick” to her.

“I have no doubt if the crowd knew who I was, they would have ripped me to shreds,” says Ms. Stone who videoed the abuse and uploaded to You Tube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ModFCEJaRlk

‘”The actions in that they were targeting a particular individual, a named individual, and singling her out for retribution, yes, that’s inciting violence, yes obviously that does play a very big part in our decision, and it did,” reported a representative from New Zealand Immigration.

Ms. Stone said Federal Immigration Minister Scott Morrison should take note of New Zealand’s actions to protect women.

“I commend New Zealand for caring more about women than Australia seems to right now,” she said. ”

Morrison has since approved a visa for international rap artist Snoop Dogg who violated Australian laws while here this month. Collective Shout had provided evidence of his criminal history, women hating lyrics and pimping activities but he was made welcome by our authorities.

Now Eminem, a US rapper with a violent criminal history, has also been granted a visa to perform in Australia next week, despite his reputation for propagating misogynistic and homophobic hate speech. Eminem raps about raping and brutally murdering women- slitting their throats, cutting their heads off, cutting their faces with hedge trimmers and disposing of their bodies.

Collective Shout has joined with a growing body of anti-violence organisations in a joint letter calling on Morrison to revoke Eminem’s visa, saying not to do so makes a mockery of the government’s National Plan Of Action To Reduce Violence Against Women.

http://collectiveshout.org/2014/02/we-dont-want-eminem-here-anti-violence-groups-combine-to-condemn-tour/