NJ music festival canceled over white supremacy ties – NBC New York

A music festival that was set to kick off in Bergen County on Friday was abruptly canceled, with police saying they got information that some of the participating bands may have ties to white supremacy and antisemitism.

The heavy metal ‘Vengeance Festival’ had been scheduled to run at the Wisla Club in Garfield through Saturday.

In a statement released late Wednesday, Garfield police confirmed that they received information about the bands’ allegiances and brought their concerns to the club. Ultimately, club management canceled the festival.

“As it relates to the Garfield Police Department, our concern and focus were solely on the law enforcement and security aspects of the event, should it have proceeded,” the statement said. “We were in communication with the Wisla Club management and our law enforcement partners in the days leading up to the cancellation of the event.”

Police said the Wisla Club will be closed from Friday through Sunday. Officials said to expect an ongoing police presence in the area.

“We thank the public for their patience and understanding as we navigated through these circumstances,” the statement said.

For its part, the concert organizer said the company books “Black and Death Metal Artists,” and that those bands have songs about extreme topics.

“If someone doesn’t want to attend the show, they have that option. That’s all,” the production company, KEP Productions, said in a statement.

Bergen County Executive James Tedesco released a statement praising the cancellation.

“The racist, antisemitic, and white supremacist ideologies reportedly associated with the now-cancelled music event in Garfield are fundamentally at odds with the values we share as a community,” Tedesco’s statement said, in part. “Bergen County has long been a place where people of different backgrounds, faiths, and cultures live together with mutual respect, and we reject any message rooted in hatred, bigotry, or intolerance.”

Police didn’t identify any of the bands in question.