Massive Attack have said their entire band were detained and some had their passports confiscated in Singapore after displaying the Palestinian flag on stage.
The Bristol group performed at the Star Theatre in the country on Wednesday night (July 29), where they held the flag over their heads from the stage and joined in with audience chants of “Free Palestine”.
Two unnamed band members were subsequently issued with “stern warnings” and banned from re-entering Singapore, while authorities said they would not approve any future applications for the group to perform in the country.
Now, Massive Attack have given their response to the incident in a statement posted to their Instagram page.
“Following our performance at the Star Theatre, Singapore on 29th July, we were surprised and disappointed that our entire band was detained by the police, isolated and separately questioned – with some members subjected to hotel room searches & temporary passport confiscation,” they wrote.
“Before we set foot on the stage & again at the end of the show, large sections of the auditorium organically led chants of “Free Palestine” presumably aware but undeterred that this spontaneous expression alone could violate their government’s censorship laws.”
They continued: “For our part, we did not imagine that merely holding up the flag of a sovereign state recognised by 157 countries (Palestine) would violate any law.”
“On reflection, we are proud to have made this impromptu expression with our fans in Singapore who clearly felt a moral imperative to show solidarity with the people of Palestine in their ongoing reality of illegal occupation, apartheid & genocide, & we salute their courage in doing so. Right across the world, the continued inaction of the “international community” is moving citizens to personal risk.”
They went on to say that the “surreal” experience was “a reminder of the importance of defending universal human rights & freedom of expression wherever those rights are threatened”, while reiterating their opposition to the UK government’s choice to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group.
Massive Attack concluded: “We’re grateful to the people of Singapore who made us feel so welcome, and hope that the Government of Singapore will choose to ratify the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights & allow their citizens expressions of conscience without fear of state prosecution. As we were saying…Free Palestine.”
Earlier this year, Del Naja was among more than 500 people arrested during a London demonstration against the ban on Palestine Action. He later criticised what he called the government’s “draconian” response and described his arrest as “unlawful”.
In February, Massive Attack responded to the original ban on Palestine Action being deemed unlawful by the High Court, claiming then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer “wanted to punish those who made their complicity in a genocide visible”.
Massive Attack have been consistent in their support for Palestine and have boycotted performing in Israel since 1999.
Last month, Robert Del Naja revealed that he had invited Palestinian activist Aarab Barghouti – the son of imprisoned politician Marwan Barghouti – to speak before the group’s planned headline appearance at Primavera Sound Barcelona.
Their set was ultimately cancelled because of extreme weather, although Barghouti later introduced Gorillaz’ headline show.
Elsewhere, Tom Waits recently released his darkly comic spoken-word track ‘The Fly’, the B-side to ‘Boots On The Ground’, his politically charged collaboration with Massive Attack and the group’s first new song in six years.
