Music Band Punished for Raising Palestinian Flag on Stage

The famous British Massive Attack music band was deprived of the right to hold concerts in the country after displaying the Palestinian flag on stage during a concert in Singapore. This was reported by the The Guardian newspaper, citing information from the Singapore Police Force.

It was reported that on July 29 of this year, during the concert, two members of the band brought the Palestinian flag onto the stage. One of them shouted the slogan “Free Palestine” in front of the audience.

According to Singapore’s legislation, displaying foreign flags, state symbols, or banners of a political nature at public events without a special permit is prohibited. Law enforcement agencies emphasized that this incident violated these requirements.

According to the investigation results, the two musicians were issued an official warning. At the same time, their entry into Singapore was banned. The country’s media regulator also stated that it would reject Massive Attack ’s any future concert applications.

The police noted that the concert organizer was well aware of the license terms and the country’s laws. Despite this, these rules were not followed during the concert. Currently, the regulator is also investigating whether license requirements were breached. So far, neither the concert organizers nor the Massive Attack band have made an official statement regarding the incident.

Additionally, the Singapore Police Force urged citizens and foreigners not to bring external political conflicts into the country's territory. The agency emphasized that such actions could negatively impact social cohesion and the rule of law.

For context, the Massive Attack band has repeatedly criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza and is known for pro-Palestinian performances. Band leader Robert Del Naja was among more than 200 demonstrators arrested in April of this year at a pro-Palestinian rally in London.