An Irish folk band had their microphones cut during a performance at the Victorious Festival in Portsmouth after they displayed a Palestinian flag and led a pro-Palestine chant.
The Mary Wallopers were performing on Friday when their set was interrupted. In a video later shared on Instagram, the group are seen entering the stage carrying a Palestinian flag. The lead singer greeted the crowd with the words “Free Palestine and f*** Israel” before the band began to play.
Moments later, a festival crew member approached the stage and removed the flag as fans booed. The lead singer then told the crowd: “We were told our gig would be cut if we flew the Palestinian flag.” He urged: “Get that flag back!” before leading a chant of “Free free Palestine!” joined by audience members.
By this point, microphones were cut and the set brought to an abrupt end. A band member then returned to the stage with the flag as chants continued among the crowd.
A spokesperson for the festival said the decision was taken because of the use of a “discriminatory” chant. The organisers added that they did not allow political demonstrations during performances.
The Mary Wallopers strongly rejected that account, saying the organisers’ statement was “misleading” and that their set was cut short solely for having the flag on stage.
In a statement, the band said: “Yesterday, a famine was declared in Gaza, where at least 65 people were killed by Israeli attacks, all the while Israel pushed ahead with plans to split the West Bank in two. These are the important facts about yesterday. We are uploading this video so everybody can see @victoriousfestival cut our gig short for having a Palestinian flag on stage.”