The Last Dinner Party has pulled out of their set at Victorious Festival in Portsmouth, England today (Aug. 23), as a show of solidarity with the Mary Wallopers after their performance was cut short due to a Palestinian flag being displayed.
The Mary Wallopers were performing when they unfurled a Palestinian flag and called for “Free Palestine.” Their sound was immediately cut off by festival staff, and the crowd responded with boos. The band later brought out the flag again, prompting cheers and chants from both the audience and the band.
Festival organizers claimed that the band used a chant with a “discriminatory context,” but the Mary Wallopers disputed this, saying their video footage showed festival staff interfering with their show and removing the flag. The Last Dinner Party has also condemned the festival’s actions, stating that artists should use their platform to draw attention to important causes.
This is not an isolated incident; other artists have faced similar issues at festivals this year. The Resistance Revival Chorus sang a prayer for Gaza at Newport Folk Festival, while actor-comedian John C. Reilly waved a Palestinian flag from the main stage. Kneecap’s pro-Palestine messaging was also cut from their festival livestream earlier this year.
The Last Dinner Party’s decision to boycott the festival is a response to what they see as an attempt to silence artists who speak out on important issues.
Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/last-dinner-party-boycott-victorious-fest-free-palestine-1235414414