Massive Attack responds after Singapore ban over Palestine display
Massive Attack has been banned from Singapore following a performance where members displayed a Palestinian flag and led chants. The band described the subsequent police detention and questioning as a surreal experience, noting they were unaware their actions would violate local censorship laws.
Why it matters
The event highlights the friction between international touring artists and countries with restrictive political speech regulations.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Jessica Rawnsley and Koh Ewe , Singapore Getty Images Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall of Massive Attack (file photo) Massive Attack have said they were "surprised and disappointed" by their treatment by Singaporean authorities after expressing pro-Palestine sentiments during a performance in the city-state.
The group wrote on Instagram on Sunday that its members were "detained by the police, isolated and separately questioned", with some subject to hotel room searches and temporary passport confiscation.
The band's two members held up a Palestinian flag during its 29 July show there and shouted "free Palestine" alongside members of the audience.
Singapore, which has stringent rules on public speech and assembly, subsequently said it had indefinitely banned Massive Attack from returning to the country.
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