slowthai apologises to fans after wearing Vivienne Westwood anti-fascist t-shirt with a swastika

02 August 2022, 14:23 | Written by Cerys Kenneally

(News)

(Slowthai)

slowthai has shared a statement apologising for offending fans at Montreal’s Osheaga Festival after wearing an anti-fascist Vivienne Westwood t-shirt that featured a Nazi swastika.

Over the weekend slowthai played Osheaga Festival in Montreal, and decided to wear one of Vivienne Westwood's anti-fascist t-shirts, which features the word "DESTROY" over a Nazi swastika.

After being called out on Twitter by StopAntisemitism, Osheaga Festival shared a statement reiterating that slowthai's t-shirt "denounces the regime". The festival also apologised "to anyone who may have misinterpreted this message and felt hurt."

ATROCIOUS! The only word that comes to mind when we see Tyron Frampton (i.e. @slowthai) allowed to perform yesterday at the Osheaga music festival in Quebec adorning a bright red swastika.

Why wasn’t he immediately yanked off the stage @osheaga @Nfarkas?! pic.twitter.com/SXP7iItjPa
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) August 1, 2022

slowthai also shared his own apology on Twitter, writing, "I'm sorry to anyone who is offended by me wearing an anti-fascist/anti-regime t-shirt and the use of the symbol it represents. I want you to know I stand firmly against antisemitism and fascism of any kind, something the t-shirt was meant to illustrate with the word "destroy" above the symbol."