Singapore has banned the two core members of the British band Massive Attack from returning to the country after an incident during their concert on July 29. Police investigated the men for unfurling a foreign flag and for one member shouting "Free Palestine" on stage.
According to ABC News, Singapore police issued the men stern warnings and blacklisted them from reentering the city-state. The police statement did not name the individuals, but footage shared on local media identified them as Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall.
"The police take a serious view of acts which could potentially harm the racial and religious harmony in Singapore and urge the public, including foreigners, to refrain from importing foreign politics as this can undermine our social cohesion and the rule of law," the police statement said.
Massive Attack responded on Instagram. The band said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the decision. The group said large sections of the auditorium had chanted "Free Palestine" before the start of the show and again at the end. The band said they did not expect that holding up the flag would violate any law, but that they were proud to have made the impromptu expression with their fans to show solidarity for the Palestinian cause.
The group urged the Singapore government to allow its citizens the expressions of conscience without fear of state persecution.
Singapore has strict laws governing public speech and demonstrations, particularly on matters touching race and religion. The city-state regularly enforces rules against what it considers divisive political expression, including by foreign performers and visitors.
