Legendary Canadian musician Neil Younger voiced concern that he might not be allowed to re-enter the US after his upcoming European tour because of his criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The 79-year-old music legend spoke out about his fears that Trump’s administration might bar him from returning to the U.S. in a publish on his Neil Younger Archives web site on Tuesday.
“Once I go to play music in Europe, if I speak about Donald J. Trump, I could also be a kind of returning to America who’s barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement ground with an aluminum blanket,” the folk-rock icon wrote.
“That’s occurring on a regular basis now. Nations have new recommendation for these returning to America. You possibly can examine it on the CANADA Desk. If I come again from Europe and am barred, can’t play my USA tour, the entire of us who purchased tickets will be unable to come back to a live performance by me,” he added.
“That’s proper of us, for those who say something dangerous about Trump or his administration, you might be barred from re-entering USA. In case you are Canadian. In case you are a twin citizen like me, who is aware of? We’ll all discover that out collectively,” Younger continued.
As Younger has accomplished many occasions up to now, he didn’t maintain again about his emotions on Trump in his publish, writing, “If the truth that I feel Donald Trump is the worst president within the historical past of our nice nation might cease me from coming again, what does that say for Freedom? I really like America and its folks and its music and its tradition. … Bear in mind Freedom of Speech?”
The Coronary heart of Gold singer stated that from the “newest actions of our US authorities,” plainly “those that converse out freely with their very own opinions are actually susceptible to a non-existent Trump regulation.”
“Then it appears to me that for those who voted for Kamala Harris over Trump, that makes it doable so that you can go to jail or be detained, punished indirectly for not exhibiting allegiance to what? How spineless is that? Trump is just not in a position [sic] to face as much as anybody who doesn’t agree together with his concepts? Bear in mind, all months have 30 days,” he wrote.
“One nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Freedom for all. Keep in mind that? I do,” Younger concluded.
Younger has a U.S. tour booked together with his rock band, Loopy Horse, starting Aug. 8 in Charlotte, N.C., and ending on the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, Calif., on Sept. 15.
Earlier than the U.S. leg of his tour, Younger might be performing throughout Europe, starting in Sweden on June 18 and ending in London at Hyde Park on July 11.
In an analogous message posted on his web site on March 31, Younger wrote, “What’s occurring in our America proper now, Our rights to free speech are being taken away and buried by our authorities. Reporters who don’t agree with our authorities have been banned from interviewing our President.”
“Canadian-Individuals like me have had their freedom threatened by actions equivalent to taking non-public data from their gadgets and utilizing it to dam them from coming into our nation — ie: In the event you don’t agree with our authorities, you might be barred from coming into or despatched to jail,” he continued.
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“Don’t let your information be restricted by at the moment’s politics and the controlling Trump agenda that challenges your primary American freedoms. You elected this president. He’s your President.”
Younger additionally took goal at Elon Musk, the pinnacle of the Trump administration’s Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE).
“Elon Musk? Actually? Give it some thought. He’s a menace to America, enabled by our president due to the thousands and thousands he spent supporting our president’s election,” Younger wrote.
Younger isn’t the one one who fears they’ll have points returning to the U.S. following a European tour.
Worldwide bestselling creator Ali Hazelwood just lately cancelled and refunded all her U.Okay. tour occasions and voiced her considerations about re-entering the U.S.
In a publish on Instagram on April 2, Hazelwood, who’s initially from Italy however now lives within the U.S., stated she needed to cancel the occasions as a result of “it’s not doable for me to securely journey exterior after which again contained in the US.”
“Consider me, this isn’t a call I made evenly. I do know quite a lot of you’ve got already made touring plans, and I understand how inconveniencing it’s to cancel so near the tour,” Hazelwood wrote. “All I can say is: I hope issues change rapidly, I hope to have the ability to journey overseas quickly, and I’m deeply grateful to your assist and your understanding.”
Younger has been a vocal critic of Trump for a very long time.
In 2021, he penned an emotional essay in regards to the Capitol riot, blaming social media and Trump for the discord in the US.
“Disappointment and compassion hit me final night time as I watched fellow Individuals telling their tales,” he wrote.
“We don’t want this hate,” he continued. “We want discussions and options. Respect for each other’s beliefs. Not hatred.”
He additionally referenced the distinction between police response and enforcement throughout the Capitol riot and the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, D.C.
“I used to be devastated to see the double normal,” he wrote, posting his essay to the Neil Younger Archives. “The way in which folks have been handled within the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in comparison with the opposite day. There isn’t a place right here for white supremacy. Folks want one another to be really free. Hatred won’t ever discover freedom.”
In August 2020, Younger filed a lawsuit towards the Trump marketing campaign for copyright infringement one month after writing Trump an open letter asking him to stop utilizing his music at marketing campaign rallies.
“This criticism is just not meant to disrespect the rights and opinions of Americans, who’re free to assist the candidate of their selecting,” acknowledged the criticism filed in New York federal courtroom. “Nevertheless, Plaintiff in good conscience can not enable his music for use as a ‘theme track’ for a divisive, un-American marketing campaign of ignorance and hate.”
Younger stated that Trump’s marketing campaign lacked a licence to publicly carry out the songs Rockin’ within the Free World and Satan’s Sidewalk. The musician acknowledged that Trump has used his music for years with out permission and performed each songs at his June 2020 rally in Tulsa, Okla.
Apart from blocking Trump from enjoying his music, Younger additionally demanded statutory damages of “no more than $150,000 nor lower than $750 per infringement,” in line with the filed criticism.
In July 2020, Younger posted an open letter to Trump, writing, “Though I’ve repeatedly requested you to please not use my music as a result of it signifies that I assist your agenda, you’ve got at all times performed my songs anyway at your gatherings, with no regard for my rights.”
Younger additionally penned one other open letter to Trump in February 2020, calling him a “shame to my nation.”
“Your senseless destruction of our shared pure sources, our surroundings and {our relationships} with mates world wide is unforgivable,” he wrote.
Younger additionally famous that whereas Trump has repeatedly used his music at rallies, the president has beforehand referred to as him “names on Twitter,” now referred to as X.
For instance, again in 2015 — greater than a 12 months earlier than he was first elected president — Trump referred to as the singer a “hypocrite” whereas sharing an image of the 2 posing collectively and shaking arms.
Younger was born in Toronto in 1945 and spent most of his adolescent years transferring between Ontario and Winnipeg earlier than leaving the nest to pursue his music profession. Younger stated he utilized for American citizenship so he might partake within the 2020 presidential election.
— With information from World Information’ Chris Jancelewicz and Adam Wallis
