British trip-hop group Massive Attack has been banned from entering Singapore after two band members displayed a Palestinian flag and chanted “free Palestine” during a recent concert, violating the city-state’s strict laws on foreign emblems and public order.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed the ban on Thursday, saying the unnamed members had been given a “stern warning” for breaching Section 3 of the Foreign National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949 and Section 16 of the Public Order Act. The display of foreign flags in public without a permit or exemption is illegal in Singapore.
SPF statement on racial harmony
An SPF spokeswoman told the BBC that the force “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.”
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Singapore’s media regulator, has also declared it will not grant Massive Attack any future applications to perform in the country, effectively ending the band’s prospects of playing there.
Band’s history of political activism
Massive Attack, currently on a world tour with their next show scheduled for Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday, are well known for their political activism. They have refused to perform in Israel since 1999 as a “form of non-violent pressure” and have voiced support for other acts boycotting events with Israeli ties.
The band has also backed the No Music For Genocide campaign, calling for their music to be removed from streaming platforms in Israel. They have supported the campaign to free Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian political leader imprisoned since 2002. Barghouti’s son, Arab Barghouti, has appeared on stage at several Massive Attack concerts to speak about his father and Palestine.
Recent protests and arrests
Robert Del Naja, a member of Massive Attack, was among 500 people arrested at a Palestine Action protest in London earlier this year. He was accused of showing support for Palestine Action, which was proscribed as a terrorist group on July 5, 2025, a move that drew controversy.
Metro has contacted Massive Attack for comment on the Singapore ban.
