Local News

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ― A release of pepper spray scattered fans at reggae artist Buju Banton's concert in San Francisco early Tuesday morning.

It happened just before 12:30 a.m., about an hour after a group of protesters finished a demonstration outside the club, said Ben Thompson, booker for the Rockit Room club.

Police were not called. It is still not clear who sprayed the gas.

"Nobody saw who did it," said Thompson. "For all we know, it was a Buju fan who was there."

Most people were unaffected by it, said Thompson. "Within ten minutes, everyone was back up there dancing and listening to the band."

Banton never stopped playing, said his manager, Tracii McGregor.

"Don't know who the culprit was, but clearly it was someone trying to ruin the show," said McGregor in a series of text messages to CBS 5.

"It was a hairy moment for the band, but it was fine," wrote McGregor. "Nobody panicked, which made all the difference."

Gay and lesbian protesters have been dogging Banton across the United States, resulting in the cancellation of a dozen shows on his current tour.

At issue: a song Banton wrote in 1988 called, "Boom Bye Bye," the lyrics of which allude to throwing acid on a gay man and using an Uzi to kill gay people.

In a first-of-its-kind meeting Monday, leaders of San Francisco's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community as well as San Francisco Supervisors Bevan Dufty and Eric Mar met with Banton and his staff, as well as the local promoter.

Banton told the San Francisco community leaders he wrote the song two decades ago when he was a teenager and that he never performs it live. He also called the song a "mistake," according to Michael Petrelis, a gay activist who was at the meeting.

San Francisco gay activist Pollo Del Mar who led the picketing of Banton outside the Rock-it Room, said she wanted to make it clear that neither she nor any of her fellow protesters were involved in the pepper spray attack.

"There was only a small group of protesters," said Del Mar. "We all dispersed collectively around 11:15."

Del Mar who was dressed in full drag at the protest said she is seven feet tall in heels and very conspicuous, implying that there is no way she could have sneaked in and surreptitiously sprayed pepper into a crowd.

"I've longed believed that violence is never the answer in any situation," said Del Mar "Activities that would harm or injure others is nothing I would ever promote or participate in."

At the 40-minute meeting at Banton's Marin County hotel, Petrelis suggested that Banton denounce gay-bashing and give money to LGBT causes to show he genuinely wants to move past the current state of affairs. Banton made no promises, but appeared to take the meeting to heart, according to several people in attendance.

A protest against his concerts will continue.

A website called "Cancel Buju Banton" lists the concerts that have been called off so far.

In the Bay Area, at least three concerts were canceled, including one in San Francisco, one in San Jose and another in Santa Clara.

Both sides said they believe the beginning of the open dialogue is a positive step in the right direction.

"It provides me some optimism that he might be open to doing so in the future," said Del Mar. "But I'm not convinced."

Banton is scheduled to perform Wednesday night in Santa Rosa at the Casbar nightclub. A woman who answered the phone told CBS 5 the concert will go on as scheduled.

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