Reggae Festival boss furious about Sean Paul arrest
Last weekend ten artists performing at the annual reggae festival in Uppsala, Sweden, were arrested for drug abuse. One was super star Sean Paul. The head of the festival Yared Tekeste is hard in his critizism against the police. "Both artists and staff feel humiliated", he claims.
- People were crying backstage, he says. Some of the artists were so angry they planned a demonstration outside the police station. But I managed to prevent that.
Yared Tekeste says the mass-arrest created a lot of attention outside Sweden. Journalists have called him from Jamaica and the US. Upsala Nya Tidning is the first news paper he has chosen to speak to.
He stresses the fact that it was some of the policemen dressed as civilians that did not act correctly, and has no objections towards how the police management acted.
- Overall cooperation with the police has never been better, which is why it is so sad that things like this happened this year.
Right now the festival management is working on a report including all the incidents where the festival staff felt they were not treated well by the policemen. It will we sent to the police authorities later this week.
There are stories about policemen dressed as civilians that have refused to show their ID-tags when arresting people. Other police officers are reported to have tried to enter the festival area carrying alcohol, and upon being denied entrance having behaved aggressivly towards the staff. Policemen are also reported having made humiliating remarks to staff and artists.
- The way they treated Sean Paul and other artists was totally unacceptable, says Yared Tekeste.
- They searched his hotel room when he was not present and went through wallets and other personal belongings.
According to Yared Tekeste it is obvious that the police was going for the biggest star to set an example for others.
- The fact that they acted only on Friday night, when he was playing, and not on Saturday night, proves that. I can personally vouch that no one smoked marijuana back stage. In Sean Paul's case I am sure, I was by his side all the time before the concert.
If the ambition of the police was to set an example for others, Yared Tekeste is convinced that it has worked the opposite way.
- I heard that the whole Sundance festival (a Dutch reggae festival that started last Saturday) was like one long speech about how badly the Swedish authorities treated people. Many of the artists held 30 minutes speeches during their concerts. When I heard that I felt ashamed to be Swedish, Yared Tekeste concludes.
Så jobbar vi med nyheter