Overview

• On May 27 in Milan, Dan Reynolds picked up and waved a Palestinian flag before draping it across his shoulders at the close of Imagine Dragons’ concert.
• Video clips of the flag-waving racked up millions of views and fueled polarized responses on X and other social media platforms.
• Pro-Palestinian supporters hailed the display as a powerful act of solidarity, while Jewish fans and pro-Israel commentators condemned it as an endorsement of terrorism.
• The move follows Reynolds’s previous onstage statements, including waving Ukrainian and Progress Pride flags and the band’s August 2023 performance in Tel Aviv.
• Observers have compared the incident to Radiohead’s confrontation with an anti-Israel protester, underscoring heightened scrutiny of political statements during live shows.