UK Members Refused Entry into the U.S. for Punk Festival

Denial of Entry at the Punk Festival

Members of the British submarines reported being denied entry to the USA for a performance at the punk festival in Los Angeles.

Detained at Customs

The bassist of the veteran punk group Elvin Gibbs shared on Facebook on Wednesday (March 19) that he, along with band members Stefan Hybelin and Mark Kerry, was detained at customs in Los Angeles and refused entry into the country. The three were subsequently deported back to the UK.

The frontman Charlie Harper was the only band member allowed into the United States, and he performed as scheduled in Belasko at the festival with substitute musicians.

Gibbs stated that upon landing at Los Angeles Airport, he and his partner were interrogated for two reasons. The first was Gibbs’s claim of having an incorrect visa, while authorities withheld the second reason.

“I cannot but wonder if my frequent and less flattering comments about their president and his administration played a role – or, perhaps, I just succumb to paranoia,” he remarked.

“What followed was far from pleasant,” Gibbs added. “Two policemen escorted me to another part of LAX, where I found that Stefan and Mark were already being held, as well as a group of Colombian, Chinese, and Mexican detainees. My luggage, phone, and passport were confiscated.”

He mentioned that his partner had to wait 25 hours to be released from detention. “By the time we were escorted onto a flight at 8 PM the next day, I had gone without sleep for over a day, managing only a pot and a couple of cups of tea on noodles.”

“It seems that my relationship with the country has ended for the foreseeable future,” he stated.

See Harper’s performance at the Los Angeles festival here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-qwym_8fok

The controversial detention comes amidst reports that other individuals who have publicly criticized Donald Trump have also been denied entry into the United States. Earlier this month, Guardian reported that a French scientist was rejected by immigration officials after his phone was searched and anti-Trump messages were found. The White House later denied that the messages influenced his case.

The French Minister of Higher Education and Research, Philip Baptist, responded to the situation, stating: “This action was clearly taken by American authorities because the researcher’s phone had exchanges with colleagues and friends where he expressed his personal opinions about the policies of the Trump administration.”