Calls for controversial Canadian right-wing ‘comedian’ to be banned from Australian speaking tour

More than 37,000 people have signed a petition demanding the Federal Government intervene and ban a right-wing “comedian” from touring the country.

Canadian Gavin McInnes, one of the creators of Vice, founded a group called The Proud Boys, and has become a prominent YouTuber.

Some of the titles of his videos include ‘Violence solves Problems’, ‘Heroin is Cool’ and ‘Ten Things I Hate About Jews’.

The petition says he is “dangerous” and he spreads hate.

The Opposition agrees saying he should be banned from his tour.

A lot of what I’ve seen and read of him saying I strongly disagree with, the problem I’ve got is his right to say it. And whether we should ban him – Neil Mitchell

In one of his podcasts, he says “We will kill you, that is the Proud boys in a nutshell. We will kill you. We look nice, we seem soft, we have “boys” in our name but… we will assassinate you.”

Mr McInnes told Neil Mitchell said he just wanted to “tell a bunch of jokes”.

“Ideas are not poison,” he said.

“When someone just wants to talk, I don’t understand how that is contentious.”

He rejects that he advocates violence, but rather self-defence.

Neil: Do you advocate violence?

Mr McInnes: I have been accused of that.

Neil: I’ve seen the films of you. At one stage – ‘go and buy a gun and blow people’s heads off’. Was that a joke?

Mr McInnes: (Laughs) Of course it is. No one says that sincerely. Anything you’ve seen that advocates that is a joke taken out of context.

Click PLAY to hear the full debate

Neil said it was clear he was playing a game.

“He makes a living out of being contentious and then when confronted, it’s a joke.”