UPDATED: Massive Attack has addressed the aftermath of the Singapore concert in a statement posted to Instagram.
The band said its members were “detained by the police, isolated and separately questioned” following the show, and described some members undergoing hotel room searches and temporary passport confiscation as part of the process. The band said the “Free Palestine” chants heard at the concert arose spontaneously from the audience, both before the performance and again at its close, and noted they had understood the flag they displayed to represent “a sovereign state recognised by 157 countries.” The group expressed appreciation for the warmth of Singaporean fans and voiced hope that citizens there would in future be able to express their views freely. The statement closed: “As we were saying … Free Palestine.”
PREVIOUSLY: The two founder members of Massive Attack have been permanently barred from re-entering Singapore after unfurling a Palestinian flag during the British trip-hop group’s concert in the city-state, according to a joint statement from the Singapore Police Force and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
The statement said police investigated both band members for “their actions of support for a political cause and unfurling of a foreign flag” during the show at The Star Theatre on July 29. Following the investigation, and in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, police administered stern warnings to both men for offences under Section 3 of the Foreign National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949 and Section 16 of the Public Order Act.
“Both men will also be banned from re-entering Singapore,” the statement said.
According to the statement, the event organizer had acknowledged the licensing conditions attached to the concert beforehand, but both band members held up a “foreign flag” onstage during the performance, with one shouting “Free Palestine.” The IMDA said it is investigating a possible breach of several licence conditions, including one barring performers from displaying flags tied to any cause, and will act once that inquiry concludes. The regulator added it will not approve any future application for the band to perform in Singapore given the entry ban.
The concert was the band’s only scheduled Singapore date on its current tour, with video of the flag display circulating widely online alongside footage of the crowd joining in chants of “Free Palestine.” The two men are Massive Attack’s founding members, Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, who make up its current touring lineup; authorities did not name them in the statement.
Singapore maintains strict rules on the public display of foreign flags and emblems without a permit, framing the laws as necessary to protect the country’s racial and religious harmony. The joint statement reiterated that position, with authorities saying they “take a serious view of acts which could potentially harm the racial and religious harmony in Singapore” and urging the public, including foreigners, “to refrain from importing foreign politics” into the country.
“The peace and harmony between different races and religions in Singapore should not be taken for granted, and we must not let external events affect our society,” the statement said.
Massive Attack has been among the more vocal acts in music in its support for Palestinian causes. Del Naja was arrested earlier this year during a demonstration in London tied to Palestine Action, a group proscribed in the U.K.
Variety has reached out to Massive Attack’s representation for comment.
