Massive Attack – the British trip‑hop collective famed for exposing the injustice of the Israel‑Gaza conflict – has been banned from Singapore after a protest‑laden performance on 29 July that saw the band hold up the Palestinian flag and rally the audience with chants of “Free Palestine.”
In a post to Instagram, the band said members Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall were “detained by police, isolated and separately questioned,” with hotel‑room searches and temporary passport confiscation. The duo held up a Palestinian flag during the show and shouted “Free Palestine” alongside members of the crowd, resulting in a police warning that they would not be allowed to re‑enter Singapore or perform there again.
Singapore’s authorities, which strictly regulate public speech and political expression, cited breaches of laws that prohibit the foreign display of flags and the staging of political messages. A police spokeswoman confirmed that the band members were banned indefinitely, and that the two were warned about potential offences under Singapore’s Public Order Act and related statutes.
Social‑media fans flooded the band’s Instagram post with messages of support, arguing that staging a simple flag of a recognised sovereign state should not be criminalised. Crystal Lim‑Lange, a Singaporean content creator, expressed the dilemma: “Artists should respect the laws of the country they perform in, but art has always challenged ideas and sparked difficult conversations.”
The incident follows Singapore’s 2023 advisory to avoid the public display of foreign articles related to the Israel‑Gaza war, and the earlier fining of several people for an unauthorised Palestinian‑support walk. Singapore remains vigilant that external events should not disturb its racial and social harmony.
Massive Attack are currently on a world tour and will next perform in Australia after wrapping up the Asian leg of their shows.
