Irish music band stopped from performing in London for showing Palestine flag

A music festival in the British city of Portsmouth descended into controversy when renowned Irish folk band The Mary Wallopers raised the Palestinian flag on stage and chanted “Free Palestine,” prompting organizers to abruptly halt their performance.

The band had been performing for only 20 minutes when organizers cut off their microphones and escorted them off stage.

Festival organizers claimed the decision was due to the use of “inflammatory language”, and denied that the shutdown was related to the band’s pro-Palestinian slogans or flag.

However, The Mary Wallopers rejected this explanation, asserting that the only reason their set was stopped was their display of solidarity with Palestine. '

“We’ve been doing this for the past six years and have never faced this kind of censorship before,” the band said in a statement.

Standing firm in their stance, the band reiterated their message: “Free Palestine all day, every day.” Their fans also lashed out at the festival management, calling them cowardly and accusing them of silencing political expression.

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In a show of solidarity, fellow Northern Irish band Kneecap publicly defended The Mary Wallopers. In a strongly worded statement, Kneecap said:

“In the UK, if you speak out against genocide, you're treated like a criminal.”

It is worth noting that Kneecap’s lead singer, Liam, has previously faced terrorism-related charges in London after being accused of waving a Hezbollah flag.

The incident has reignited debate around freedom of expression, particularly when it comes to support for Palestine in Western spaces, with critics accusing event organizers of political censorship.