Massive Attack banned from Singapore after displaying Palestinian flag onstage

The U.K. physics set Massive Attack has been banned from Singapore due to the fact that of its pro-Palestinian activism onstage, the radical said.

The radical unfurled a Palestinian emblem during a show astatine the Star Theatre successful Singapore connected July 29. The set said constabulary detained them aft the show, and that an probe led to the set being forbidden from performing successful the country.

The federation of Singapore has strict laws against displaying overseas flags oregon nationalist symbols without a permit.

Massive Attack, which consists of Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, described the lawsuit arsenic a “surreal experience” successful a station connected Instagram.

“We were amazed and disappointed that our full set was detained by the police, isolated and separately questioned – with immoderate members subjected to edifice country searches and impermanent passport confiscation,” it read.

“Before we acceptable ft connected the signifier and again astatine the extremity of the show, ample sections of the auditorium organically led chants of ‘Free Palestine’, presumably alert but undeterred that this spontaneous look unsocial could interruption their government’s censorship laws.”

“For our part,” the connection continued, “we did not ideate that simply holding up the emblem of a sovereign authorities recognised by 157 countries would interruption immoderate law.”

In a connection issued Saturday, cited by the Guardian, Singapore constabulary and the section Infocomm Media Development Authority said that Del Naja and Marshall had been investigated for “their actions of enactment for a governmental origin and unfurling of a overseas flag,” violating Singapore’s Foreign National Emblems (Control of Display) Act and the Public Order Act.

The constabulary said they “take a superior presumption of acts which could perchance harm the radical and spiritual harmony successful Singapore and impulse the public, including foreigners, to refrain from importing overseas authorities arsenic this tin undermine our societal cohesion and the regularisation of law.”

The connection said Del Naja and Marshall would “be banned from re-entering Singapore” and are forbidden from performing determination again.

The set did not backmost down from its onstage motion oregon its longstanding pro-Palestinian activism, stating that “On reflection, we are arrogant to person made this impromptu look with our fans successful Singapore who intelligibly felt a motivation imperative to amusement solidarity with the radical of Palestine successful their ongoing world of amerciable occupation, apartheid and genocide, and we salute their courageousness successful doing so. Right crossed the world, the continued inaction of the ‘international community’ is moving citizens to idiosyncratic risk.”

Del Naja was precocious arrested astatine a caller protestation successful enactment of the radical Palestine Action successful London.