B.C. concert promoter posts anti-hate policy after Nazi salute at show

Jeff Lagerquist, CTVNews.ca Staff</span>
Published Sunday, December 17, 2017 10:15PM EST

A Vancouver heavy metal music promoter is taking a stand against racist gestures and symbols after a concert-goer was seen giving what appeared to be a Nazi salute in the mosh pit at a recent show.

Journeyman Productions social media manager Nikki Gould said a friend alerted her after spotting a young man making what he believed to be the “Sieg Heil” salute at a Dec. 8 performance by Death Preacher at Pub 340. The gesture was adopted in the 1930s by the Nazi Party to signal allegiance to Adolf Hitler.

Gould said she put down the concert merchandise she was preparing and confronted the man.

“I was like, ‘My friend told me what you just did and I think you should leave.’ He started ignoring me and getting really rigid. He didn’t seem apologetic or surprised that he had been confronted,” Gould told CTV News.

She said she later saw the man being escorted out of the venue after she raised the issue with a bartender and security.

“I think I kind of let him off easy by kicking him out of the show and telling him to go. Had he stayed longer and got in a fight, that could have been really bad,” Gould said. “Nazis and things like that don’t represent the metal scene. We want everyone to feel safe and included, and have fun. Nazis aren’t fun.”

The company took to Facebook the following day to outline their zero tolerance policy on hateful gestures and speech.

“We want to make it 100 per cent clear in writing that there are no ‘Seig Heils’ allowed in the pit,” the post reads. “This as well as any Nazi symbolism on clothing will not be tolerated. This wasn’t clear to someone last night and he wasn't too happy when he was asked to leave the venue, so we wanted to make a post to prevent further confusion.”

Journeyman Productions owner Joey Hockin said this is the first time something like this has happened at one of his shows. But the incident didn’t come as a complete shock in light of the recent white nationalist gatherings and counter-protests in the U.S. and Canada, he said.

“I’m not too surprised, just because of the way things are going in North America lately,” Hockin said. “There are a lot of far left and far right people making their voices heard. It’s really dividing a lot of people.”

Hockin and Gould said the reaction to the policy has been mostly positive, though some have questioned if the move limits free speech.

“We’ve been contacted by a lot of people. Some people saying, ‘I’m Jewish. Thank you for doing this.’ Or my family saying my grandpa would have been proud of me because he fought in the wars,” Hockin said. “And then some apologists whining about free speech.”

“If you see anyone wearing a swastika or . . . just saying racial slurs, homophobic slurs too . . . we take all that very seriously,” Gould said. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m not trying to put you in jail for that. I’m just saying not at our shows.”

Hockin said the policy is meant to establish that this type of behaviour is not okay before it becomes a reoccurring issue and causes damage to public perception of heavy metal music.

“We already have so many negative stereotypes that we are fighting against,” he said. “When things like this happen, it just kind of encourages those stereotypes.”

With a report from CTV’s Breanna Karstens-Smith in Vancouver

Thank you to everyone that came out to Pub 340 last night to witness the Wheel of Metal! It was so much fun that we will...
Posted by Journeyman Productions on Saturday, December 9, 2017

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