British band Massive Attack said its members were detained and questioned by Singaporean police after displaying a Palestinian flag on stage during a concert in Singapore last week.
In a statement posted on Instagram on Sunday, the band said its members were "detained by the police, isolated and separately questioned," with some subjected to hotel room searches and the temporary confiscation of their passports following Wednesday's performance at the Star Theatre.
The group said audience members had spontaneously chanted "Free Palestine" before the concert and again after it ended.
"For our part, we did not imagine that merely holding up the flag of a sovereign state recognised by 157 countries (Palestine) would violate any law," the band said.
Police investigation
Singapore police said on Friday they had launched an investigation into the band over a possible breach of licensing conditions.
The city-state prohibits the public display of foreign national emblems without a permit or exemption. Violators can face a fine of up to S$500, up to six months in prison, or both.
Police said band members Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall were issued "stern warnings" and banned from re-entering Singapore.
"The Police take a serious view of acts which could potentially harm the racial and religious harmony in Singapore and urge the public, including foreigners, to refrain from importing foreign politics," the force said.
Massive Attack said it was "proud to have made this impromptu expression" of solidarity with Palestinians alongside its fans in Singapore.
The band said supporters had acted out of "a moral imperative to show solidarity with the people of Palestine in their ongoing reality of illegal occupation, apartheid and genocide."
It also called on Singapore to ratify the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, saying citizens should be able to express their conscience "without fear of state prosecution."
