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.