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.
Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall were “given stern warnings” concerning alleged offences under two laws that restrict the public display of foreign flags and regulate political expressions at public events.
Massive Attack said that before the show and again at the end “large sections of the auditorium organically led chants of ‘Free Palestine’, presumably aware but undeterred that this spontaneous expression alone could violate their government’s censorship laws”.
The band did not address the ban directly, but described the situation as a “surreal experience” and said they “did not imagine that merely holding up the flag of a sovereign state recognised by 157 countries would violate any law”.
They added that they were “proud to have made the impromptu expression” with fans in Singapore, who “clearly felt a moral imperative to show solidarity with the people of Palestine”.
The band’s Instagram post, which has been liked by 146,000 users, was flooded with supportive messages from fans.
“Many of us in Singapore have grown up learning to be careful with what we say, how loudly we say it, and when it’s safer to stay silent,” wrote one Instagram user.
“Thank you for standing with Palestine… and for showing us that integrity can still take centre stage.”
Crystal Lim-Lange, a content creator in Singapore who attended the concert, wrote in an Instagram post that this was a “complex issue”.
She said she believed “artists should respect the laws of the countries they perform in”.
“However, I also believe art has always challenged ideas, reflected society and sparked difficult conversations. Trying to separate art from politics has never been straightforward.”
Massive Attack are known for openly expressing their political stance on a range of issues, including the war in Gaza.
Del Naja was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of showing support for the proscribed organisation Palestine Action during a protest in London.
The 61-year-old sat among hundreds of fellow demonstrators with a sign that read “I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action”.
Singapore has taken a strong stance on public statements on the Israel-Gaza war, with authorities in the multicultural country insisting this was necessary to preserve racial and social harmony.
The home affairs ministry put out a statement in 2023 advising against “the public display and wearing of articles” in relation to the Israel-Gaza war, including foreign national emblems.
Earlier this year, they fined several people for organising an unauthorised walk in support of the Palestinian cause.
“The peace and harmony between different races and religions in Singapore should not be taken for granted, and we must not let external events affect our society,” a police spokeswoman had earlier told the BBC.
Massive Attack are currently on a world tour, with performances next week in Australia following the end of its Asia leg.
The BBC has contacted the Singaporean police for comment.
