LAUNCH (Yahoo!)
October 26, 2021
By Craig Rosen

eminem barred from entering canada?

A complaint was filed by Valerie Smith to the Hate Crimes Unit of the Toronto Police stating that rapper's lyrics constituted a hate crime against women, according to Canadian law, and that he should not be allowed to perform the show at Toronto's Skydome. The complaint was sent to the attorney general, who agreed that Eminem's speech violated the country's decree, which prohibits communicating statements in public that willfully promote hatred against any identifiable group.

Anthony Iozzo, media spokesperson in Ontario for citizenship and immigration told LAUNCH that Eminem is set to arrive in the country at about 3 p.m. ET today (October 26), and at that time he will be questioned by officials to determine whether his lyrics meet the provisions of Canada's hate crime legislation.

There is a problem with the complaint, however. Said Iozzo, "The problem is that the legislation doesn't identify women specifically as the group, and the legislation may therefore not be applicable."

Calls to the public affairs office of the Immigration Department and Attorney General Flaherty's office were not returned by press time. But an official at the Toronto Skydome told LAUNCH the show is set to go on as scheduled with its full lineup, which includes Eminem, Papa Roach, Xzibit, and Limp Bizkit.

-- Darren Davis, New York

Eminem Goes On As Planned After Canada Considers Ban

October 26, 2021
By Craig Rosen

Eminem has been granted entry into Canada despite an investigation by Canada's Citizenship And Immigration Department. Ontario Attorney General Jim Flaherty requested that Canada's Federal Immigration Office prevent the rapper from entering the country as part of Thursday night's (October 26) Anger Management tour if he was found to be in violation of one of their hate crimes laws (LAUNCH, 10/26). The rapper was questioned at around 3 p.m. ET and the department found no grounds to deny him entrance.

Spokesperson for the Citizenship And Immigration Department of Canada Cathy Wesley told LAUNCH, "If we look at the processing of individuals, the immigration act is clear. If a person is seeking to enter Canada and has been convicted of a crime, we can deny entry to that individual, but there are no grounds in Canadian law to deny entry to a performer who sings abhorrent lyrics."

Wesley added that Eminem has had no problem in the past with the hate-crime law. "The assessment of a visitor seeking to enter Canada is based on the immigration act and the criminal code of Canada, and a thorough review of the circumstances of the client and the intentions of his or her visit, and actions in past visits," she said. "I can tell you that Eminem has performed in Canada without incident."

A complaint was filed by Valerie Smith to the Hate Crimes Unit of the Toronto Police stating that the rapper's lyrics constituted a hate crime against women, according to Canadian law, and that he should not be allowed to perform at Toronto's Skydome. The complaint was sent to the attorney general, who agreed that Eminem's speech violated the country's decree, which prohibits communicating statements in public that willfully promote hatred against any identifiable group.

Calls to the public affairs office of the Immigration Department and Attorney General Flaherty's office were not returned by press time.

-- Darren Davis, New York