Overview
- Last Wednesday the band held up a Palestinian flag on stage and one musician shouted "Free Palestine," an act police say violated a ban on foreign flags.
- Massive Attack say police detained and questioned the group, searched hotel rooms and temporarily seized passports after the concert.
- Singapore has barred the band from future shows in the city‑state and imposed entry bans on two members, with prosecutors citing disturbance of public order.
- The measures reflect Singapore’s strict rules that require permission to display non‑Singapore flags and limit public political acts to protect multiethnic harmony.
- The incident matters beyond this show because Massive Attack is publicly pro‑Palestinian and has faced related arrests before, and it raises questions about how artists must navigate differing national laws on political speech.