Student Groups Tell UK Nightclub: Performance by British Rapper Wiley ‘Sends Message That Antisemitism Is Tolerated’
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Wiley on stage on day 1 of the Fusion Festival, in Cofton Park in Birmingham, England, Aug. 31, 2013. Photo: Katja Ogrin / Reuters.
A nightclub in the United Kingdom is facing pressure from a number of student groups to cancel a live performance by British rapper Wiley scheduled for Saturday due to the artist’s antisemitic past.
Wiley, whose real name is Richard Kylea Cowie, is set to perform at the Switch nightclub in Preston as part of the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLAN) Preston Freshers 2021 line-up of events, which span over the course of two weeks in multiple venues.
Last year, Wiley was banned from various social media platforms and lost his recording deal after publishing a series of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel comments online. Among the offensives comments that he shared on social media, he called Jews “snakes;” told “black people” to go to “war” with Jewish people; and tweeted that Jews should “hold some corn,” a slang expression that means they should be shot, adding, “Jewish community you deserve it.” He later apologized for his comments.
The UK’s Union of Jewish Students (UJS) said on Thursday it is “disgusted to hear” that Wiley will be performing at Switch nightclub.
“Just over a year ago he was publicly criticized and permanently suspended from Twitter, for writing antisemitic tweets and spreading hateful conspiracy theories about Jewish power and control,” UJS wrote in a statement. “Allowing him to perform sends the message that antisemitism is acceptable and the wellbeing of Jewish students in Preston is not important. UJS insists that Switch club review this event and show they will not tolerate antisemitism.”
UCLAN’s Student’ Union also called on Switch to cancel Wiley’s performance. In a statement on Thursday, it said, “We condemn all forms of antisemitism and given the previous actions of Wiley, which include a series of antisemitic social media posts, we strongly encourage Switch to cancel this event and reconsider any further ties with Wiley and his management.”
The Students Union also clarified that “although the event is promoted as a UCLan Freshers event, neither the University or the Students’ Union has any involvement in planning, delivering or promoting this event. UCLan Students’ Union sometimes signposts students to external events being run across the city, but we are always clear that these events are external to us and are not run by us. We are also able to confirm that this Switch club night was not one of these events.”
On Friday, Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, the vice president for higher education at the National Union of Students (NUS), additionally condemned Switch’s decision to schedule a performance by Wiley, calling the move “disgraceful.”
It “sends a message that antisemitism is tolerated,” she said, adding: “we support and welcome the University of Central Lancashire Students’ Union’s and the Union of Jewish Students’ statement on this, and join them in urging Switch nightclub to cancel tomorrow’s event and reconsider their relationship with Wiley moving forward.”
