Singapore authorities investigating Massive Attack

[CruCru]

There’s a thing on the BBC which says that Massive Attack held up the Palestinian flag and shouted “Free Palestine” at their concert. Supposedly Singapore are now investigating as they have some fairly strict rules on demonstrations and displaying another country’s flag.

I’m in a couple of minds about this. I think that Massive Attack have always been fairly political so perhaps this is to be expected. However the other part of me wonders why they were not told that this is a big deal in Singapore beforehand (they are due to perform in Seoul tomorrow - it’s not obvious whether they have been detained). The people who live in Singapore wouldn’t be able to do this stuff but there’s a good chance that this band will pay a fine and then leave the country.

So, you’re not a right wing bigot?

1. Butwhataboutwhatabout ☑
2. Criticising the decades long expanding occupation and now genocide is antisemitic. ☑

Bingo.

There's been zero antisemitism on this thread. There's been an incident of horrific anti-Palestinian rhetoric however. Apparently Palestinian women breed too fast for it to count as genocide.

I think approving of Kneecap’s chants of ‘death to the IDF’ is antisemitic and racist, yes. Given that every Israeli citizen of a certain age is obliged to serve a period of time serving in the IDF.

Wanting Israel to stop genocide isn't about hating Jews but then you already know that.

Why the ' ,yes' ? To imply you're disagreeing with a point somebody has made on the thread? As if someone has said here that 'death to the IDF' is fine? The thread is about MA and the message 'free palestine' which is not antisemitic.

Whataboutwhataboutwhatabout.

….and MA has previously expressed support for Kneecap’s chants of ‘Death to the IDF’. Something which I think is very relevant. Unless you, like Massive Attack and Kneecap, think it’s perfectly acceptable to wish death on a nation’s army - much of which is made up of its citizens doing national service to defend their country. A country whose citizens would undoubtedly have all been slaughtered by their neighbours by now if left undefended.

So don’t give me this ‘whataboutary’ BS when you’re so wilfully ignoring the context.

Link?

It is clean and very safe for a reason.

No one is occupying Iran though.

Well, the IRCG has killed around 40, 000 Iranians and is continuing to execute people who did such things as shelter people when the IRCG were opening fire in the streets. There's a new crack down on women being covered after some slight loosening of the rules. They weren't invaded but have been oppressed by the regime and strict Islamic theology for 40+ years. Or is it ok if it's the Government killing its own people.

I very much doubt they did given Kneecap didn't chant that.

No it’s not okay but it’s a completely different situation.

No, they are murdering their own

And women aren't allowed to do anything

Some might say they need liberating. Is it that you think the regime is fine or you just think they should be left to get on with it and internal resistance will have to overthrow it?

We could do with some of Singapores laws here in the UK.
Make it a safe country, like it used to be

The reason Singapore has pretty much zero crime rate, and the most accepted passport in the world is because they don't tolerate morons in their country.

I couldn’t have put it better. And there’s never a word about the Hamas atrocity, that kicked it all off.

Yeah - I expected this - it’s Singapore, most people people know - if you fuck Around - you find out. That’s why Singapore is quite safe/clean. Quite low crime - and jailtime is quite serious. Michael Fay is the boy who vandalised stuff - then got jailed and caned.

I remember that too, but have been in the early 1990s as it was when I was 6th form and we had a debate about whether it was fair or not.

To my surprise there was a very strong feeling, even among those who would have probably been joining him in his vandalism, that it was totally fair and he deserved all he got.

What do expect British people to do in order to change the Iranian Government?

Because it's so very obvious to everyone that that was horrific. But, it in NO WAY justifies the retaliation!

They've just put out a statement on their socials. I can't work out how to share the FB link, sorry.

Ultimately, MA has always been political and especially on Gaza & Israel so what happened isn't surprising. I've seen them twice in the last 10 years and now just ignore the politics and enjoy the music. Many years ago I saw U2 at Wembley at the height of the "free Aung San Suu Kyi" movement. They had a "protest" near the end of the concert where people were wearing cardboard cutouts of her face on stage with a lecture from Bono - it was f*cking weird in the moment. A few years later that freedom fighter put on a pedestal became... questionable. I learnt from that experience to ignore the politics of these people and just enjoy the music, which is ultimately why we pay to go and see them. If they want to virtue signal, fill your boots as long as I get to hear the hits (& yawn when they preach)

Adding screenshots of the statement from Facebook.

Link as requested https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jul/17/massive-attack-announce-alliance-of-musicians-speaking-out-over-gaza

This.

LMAO I wondered how the flag wavers were justifying that one. I mean the BBC got into trouble for broadcasting them saying it live and it’s very well documented but ok you do you. 😂😂😂