Approximately 50 people held a candlelight vigil and demonstration against reggae artist Buju Banton’s House of Blues-sponsored performance at 4th & B on the evening of Oct. 4 because the Jamaican native’s lyrics advocate for burning, shooting and pouring acid on the heads of gay people.

Banton’s song “Boom Bye Bye,” glorifies the shooting of gay men with the lyrics “Rude bwoy no promote no nasty man/Dem haffi dead/Send fi di matic an,” which translates from Jamaican slang to English as “Rude boys don’t promote no queer men/They have to die/Send for the automatic [gun].”

The protest was organized by the Stonewall Citizens Patrol, a neighborhood watch organization formed in response to violent attacks that occurred outside the San Diego LGBT Pride festival on July 29.

“Just 60 days after the horrific beating [with] baseball bats of four gay men, for the House of Blues and the 4th & B club to bring Banton to San Diego is very disturbing,” said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, city commissioner and chair of the Human Relations Commission. “Apparently these nightclubs feel that gay citizens are fair game not only for verbal attacks but for actual murder.”

Other co-sponsors of the demonstration included the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the San Diego Democratic Club, The Center, the Imperial Court de San Diego, San Diego GLBT Vote 2006 and the San Diego chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights.

The protesters gathered across the street from 4th & B and chanted “Shame, Shame, Shame – 4th & B and House of Blues” and “Buju Banton equals murder music” as concertgoers lined up outside the downtown venue.

At one point, a man passing by protesters stood on the street corner and yelled, “Homos spread AIDS” several times, while another man in a wheelchair outside 4th & B repeatedly yelled, “Protesters have been known to murder too.”

Patrice Henry, who was one of about 20-30 people waiting in line outside 4th & B before the concert began, said Banton had a right to perform his music.

“My opinion is there’s a lot of Jamaican men who feel the same way. I think it’s the way they’re raised,” Henry said of Banton’s lyrics. “It’s his opinion and it was a long time ago. It’s like ‘move on, get over it.’ He sings about other things besides that. He also sings about freedom, love, peace and harmony….”

Murray-Ramirez said he is submitting a proposal to the NGLTF for a national boycott of all House of Blues venues because the venue has also sponsored concerts featuring Banton in cities other than San Diego.

“It’s time that the House of Blues gets a message from our community where it hurts, and that’s in their pocket books,” he said. “We have to let the House of Blues know that this is unacceptable.”

When the Gay & Lesbian Times contacted 4th & B director of operations Shane Berry, he said he could not comment and referred all press calls to vice president of marketing Jack Gannon in the Los Angeles House of Blues home office.

As of press time, Gannon’s office did not return two phone calls placed by the Gay & Lesbian Times for comment.

District 3 City Councilmember Toni Atkins attended the Oct. 4 protest and said 4th & B and House of Blues’ decision to allow Baton to perform is “reprehensible.”

“Free speech needs to be exercised responsibly, and even though they may have the right to book this homophobic performer, they should have demonstrated respect for our community by not dong so,” she said.

Atkins said The Center’s rally for the Pride festival victims in August was a stand for peace and tolerance within the GLBT community and Banton’s performance in San Diego contradicts that.

“So how can this city, America’s Finest City, and an organization like the House of Blues and 4th & B open its doors to someone who sings a song that talks about murder and hate and intolerance? How can it be in this city,” Atkins said. “We will not stand for that. We expect more. We expect more than that in San Diego.”

Concerts featuring Banton have been cancelled due to complaints from patrons across the U.S., including an Oct. 2 performance at Los Angeles’ Highland nightclub and restaurant.

Highland general manager Adam Manacker told The Associated Press e-mail messages and phone calls from community members prompted the cancellation of the show.

“We felt it was the right thing to do after doing some research on the matter,” he said.

In July, concerts featuring Banton and Beenie Man were cancelled in Britain after activists said both artists refused to stop using anti-gay lyrics.

Banton has been well known in Jamaica since the early 1990s, but his career in the U.S. has not taken off, and some speculate this is due to his attitude toward gays.

Banton was tried and acquitted on charges that he participated in the beating of six gay men by a Jamaica gang in 2004.