Massive Attack members detained in Singapore after Palestinian flag display

British trip-hop band Massive Attack has said its members were detained by police in Singapore after a concert last week, during which a Palestinian flag was unfurled on stage.

In a statement published on Instagram on Monday, the group said large sections of the crowd chanted “Free Palestine” before and at the end of its performance at the Star Theatre on July 29.

“We did not imagine that merely holding up the flag of a sovereign ⁠state recognised by 157 countries would violate any law,” Massive Attack’s statement said, adding that the band was “proud” to have made an “impromptu expression” with their fans “who clearly felt a moral imperative to show solidarity with the people of Palestine”.

After the performance, the statement continued, “we were surprised and disappointed that our entire band was detained by the police, isolated and separately questioned – with some members subjected to hotel room searches & temporary passport confiscation”.

Police said last week the band’s actions “could potentially harm the racial and religious harmony in Singapore”, where foreign flags, national emblems and banners cannot be displayed in public without a permit.

Authorities said two band members were issued with stern warnings and barred from re-entering Singapore.

Massive Attack, comprising Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall, was performing with a live backing band and guest vocalists, including Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins.

Massive Attack said its encounter with police in Singapore was a “surreal experience” and a “reminder of the importance of defending universal human rights and freedom of expression”.

In April, frontman Del Naja was among more than 500 people arrested by British police in London during a protest against the banning of Palestine Action, which is classed as a “terrorist” organisation by the United Kingdom. Del Naja was arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation.

Also in April, a Singaporean court fined three women for organising a walk in support of Palestine two years earlier, during which letters were delivered to then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urging him to cut ties with Israel.