Canada

The Osheaga festival has apologized after the rapper performed wearing a swastika-emblazoned T-shirt

Organizers of Montreal’s Osheaga music festival have apologized after a British rapper performed wearing a swastika T-shirt.

The festival says Slowthai’s fashion choice on Saturday “caused confusion” among some festival-goers who may have misunderstood the T-shirt’s message.

The issue arose after photos and videos were posted online of the 27-year-old rapper, born Tyrone Frampton, performing in Osheaga wearing a shirt depicting the word “destroy” over a swastika.

A number of Jewish groups responded to the images, including US-based Stop Antisemitism, which called it “disgusting” and questioned why Osheaga officials did not ensure that Frampton was “immediately removed from the stage”.

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—@CanadianFSWC

The design is a variation on the “Destroy”, a controversial look created in the 1970s by fashion artist and activist Vivienne Westwood in collaboration with visual artist Malcolm McLaren.

In the design, a pink swastika appears in a red circle with an inverted image of Jesus on the cross superimposed. Queen Elizabeth’s inverted postage stamp is tucked into the corner.

A statement released by Frampton apologized to “anyone who was offended by me wearing an anti-racist/anti-regime t-shirt and the use of the symbol it represents.”

“I want you to know that I am firmly against anti-Semitism and racism of any kind, something the T-shirt should have illustrated with the word ‘destroy’ above the symbol,” he added.

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—@osheaga

The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs urged Frampton to consider that the intention of calling out fascism is lost if “it is perceived in a completely different way by those who see it”.

“Nazi imagery is not a fashion statement,” the organization said. “It should not be used as an attention-getting ploy or publicity tool.”

Osheaga added in a statement: “We sincerely apologize to anyone who may have misinterpreted this message and felt hurt.”