Rocker Bryan Adams has come under fire for an expletive laden social media post in which he seemed to place the blame on the Chinese for the outbreak and spread of the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Chinese wet markets have been pinpointed as the probable source of the devastating virus.
Last Friday, the World Health Organisation said one such market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan played a role in the outbreak either as the source or possibly as an “amplifying setting”, while stressing more research on the link was necessary.
“Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of a tenancy of gigs at the @royalalberthall, but thanks to some f***ing bat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy b**, the whole world is now on hold, not to mention the thousands that have suffered or died from this virus,” Adams wrote in a post.
After his comments were published, Adams was criticised by Amy Go, president of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice.
“This is so irresponsible and just so, so, so, so racist,” she told CBC News . “People look up to public figures. He is seen as an idol by many.
Adams was also criticized by social media users particularly on Twitter, where the post has since been deleted. It however, remains on his Instagram page.
“Apologies to any and all that took offence to my posting yesterday,” Adams said in a new post on Tuesday.
“No excuse, I just wanted to have a rant about the horrible animal cruelty in these wet-markets being the possible source of the virus, and promote veganism.”
He added: “I have love for all people and my thoughts are with everyone dealing with this pandemic around the world.”
This is not the first time a prominent musician has come out to speak publicly about the practice of wet markets.
Paul McCartney, a longtime vegetarian and animal rights activist, said in April: “Let’s face it, it is a little bit medieval eating bats … They will not close down these wet markets, that got us into this trouble in the first place …
“It wouldn’t be so bad if this is the only thing it seems like you can blame on those wet markets. It seems like Sars, avian flu, all sorts of other stuff that has afflicted us … and what’s it for? For these quite medieval practices. They need to clean up their act.”
