On Wednesday, two unnamed members of the British band displayed a Palestinian flag and chanted 'free Palestine' alongside some in the audience at a concert. The Singapore Police Force subsequently banned Massive Attack from future entry, stating the pair had breached two laws that prohibit displaying foreign flags in public without a permit or exemption.
A police spokeswoman told the BBC that the two band members, who have not been publicly identified, were given a 'stern warning' after allegedly violating Section 3 of the Foreign National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949 and Section 16 of the Public Order Act. The SPF said they 'take a serious view of acts which could potentially harm the racial and religious harmony in Singapore. 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.'
Singapore's media regulator, the Infocomm Media Development Authority, has also said it will not grant Massive Attack any future applications to perform in the country. The band is on a world tour, with their next show due to take place in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday.
Long history of political activism
Massive Attack have long been vocal about their political beliefs. They have refused to perform in Israel since 1999 as a 'form of non-violent pressure,' and have expressed support for other bands boycotting events with links to Israel. They have also asked for their music to be removed from streaming platforms in Israel as part of the No Music For Genocide campaign.
The band have also backed the campaign to free Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian political leader imprisoned since 2002. Barghouti's son, Arab Barghouti, has joined the band on stage at several concerts to discuss his father and the Palestinian cause.
Earlier this year, Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja was among 500 people arrested at a Palestine Action protest in London. Del Naja was accused of showing support for Palestine Action, which was controversially proscribed as a terrorist group on 5 July 2025.
Metro has contacted Massive Attack for comment.
