Irish folk band The Mary Wloropers say they were muted at a music festival held in Portsmouth, England on Friday after displaying the Palestinian flag during their set.
“We were cut off at the Victory Festival with the Palestinian flag on stage,” the band said in an Instagram post. “We’ve been doing this for six years and this has never happened before.”
“Free Palestine every day.”
The festival organizers denied the band’s account and said event management cut out the sound, saying the band “used a chant that is widely understood to have a discriminatory context.”
“The flag was displayed at the stage contrary to our policy, and this was raised with the artist’s crew, but at this point the show did not end. “The decision by event managers to cut the sound and end the performance was only taken after the band used a chant that is widely understood to have a discriminatory context.”
CNN approached the band and festival for more details.
Video edited from a concert posted by the band on Instagram shows Mary Wollopers banjo player Andrew Hendy started the set by saying “Free Palestine and f**k Israel.”
According to the video, their performance lasts about a further minute. A stage hand comes on stage and appears to be removing the Palestinian flag that the band has stuck on one of the speakers.
Andrew Hendy tells the crowd that the band is instructed not to fly the Palestinian flag or that they will be cut out and encouraged the audience to leave the festival venue. Banjo players began chanting “Free Palestine” before the microphone was cut off.
The video then shows the band’s guitarist Charles Hendy asking people if the band is allowed to continue playing. The response is palpable, but the person appears to have responded that the Palestinian flag should be removed.
“We’re not playing,” replies Charles Hendy.
“Fine,” says offscreen.
As the band waving to the crowd, leaving the stage, the audience began chanting “Free Palestine” and “Let Play!”
“People were upset and angry,” said Emma Gaynor, an audience member who attended a concert with her partner. “I hadn’t heard anything discriminatory. It all happened very quickly.”
Another attendee, Jess Haksam, said that the other bands who performed the festival that day also said “Free Palestine” during the set.
“From everything I’ve heard,” Haksam emailed. “(Mary Wolopards) said “Free Palestine” that other bands on the main stage had said before the set. ”
The incident occurs amid the intense debate over pro-Palestinian activities and freedom of speech in the UK, where musicians are often at the forefront.
British police have launched a criminal investigation after rap duo Bob Billan chanted “Death to IDF” at the Glastonbury Festival set in June. Even the US government has revoked their band members’ visas prior to their US tour.
