Massive Attack have been banned from Singapore after the UK band’s pro-Palestine display during a concert in the city-state led to a sharp response from authorities. The Massive Attack Singapore ban followed the group’s 29 July show, where the two members held up a Palestinian flag and shouted “free Palestine” with fans in the audience.
The band said on Instagram that they were “surprised and disappointed” by how they were treated after the performance. They said police detained them, separated them for questioning and, in some cases, searched hotel rooms and temporarily confiscated passports. Massive Attack described the episode as a “surreal experience” and said they had not expected that holding up the flag of a sovereign state recognised by 157 countries would break any law.
Singapore’s police later said the two members would not be allowed back into the country and were barred from performing there. Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall were also given stern warnings over alleged offences tied to laws limiting the public display of foreign flags and restricting political expression at public events. Singapore has long kept tight controls on public speech and assembly, and officials have said those rules are meant to protect racial and social harmony in the multicultural city-state.
In their post, the band said the response came after audience members had already started chanting “Free Palestine” before the show and again at the end. They said those chants appeared to be spontaneous and that fans in Singapore nevertheless felt a moral duty to show solidarity with Palestinians. The post drew strong support online and was liked by 146,000 users, with many commenters backing the band’s stance.
