A comedian stirring up controversy is set to perform in Kitchener next month, but he won’t be using a city-owned venue as originally planned.
Ben Bankas, a comedian from Toronto who now resides in the U. S., gained notoriety last month for a stand-up routine where he made light of events in Minnesota. He notably expressed that he felt “good” when U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother from Minneapolis on January 7.
Currently on tour, Bankas had six performances canceled in Minnesota following his remarks. NBC reported that the Laugh Camp Comedy Club in St. Paul canceled several shows due to “heightened threats, increasing media attention and civil disorder.”
In response, Bankas shared a video from another stand-up set stating that the cancellations happened because the club “got a weird voicemail from a liberal” complaining about the show. On Instagram, he added that “I’ll never stop being me.”
His Ontario tour includes two shows at Yuk Yuk’s in Toronto on Thursday night; one of those shows is already sold out. He has additional performances scheduled for March in Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Cavan, and Niagara Falls before heading to Alberta.
He has two sold-out performances on March 7 in Kitchener at 5 p. m. and 8 p. m.
The shows were initially supposed to take place at the city-run Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts.
A spokesperson from the City of Kitchener confirmed that the shows have been moved to another location and ticket holders have been informed.
The city did not provide a reason for relocating the shows, though there have been calls for them to be canceled altogether.
Some people argue that allowing Bankas to perform at a city-owned venue would imply agreement with his views.
A website listing tour dates now indicates these performances will happen just a block away at Elements Night Club. Elements did not reply to requests for comment.
I reached out to Bankas regarding his Kitchener shows being relocated. A spokesperson provided a press release about his current tour stating that he “mocks politics, current events, pop culture, and himself.”
The statement adds that Bankas is “proving that following your dreams and speaking your own truth resonates with millions of people even if that truth is seen as harsh or abrasive.”
“The attempts to cancel his shows has only amplified his voice.”
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