The band had been due to perform a full set at the Victorious Festival in Portsmouth earlier this evening, but said they had been “cut off” for “having a Palestinian flag on the stage”.
“We’ve been doing this for 6 years now and this has never happened before. Free Palestine all day, every day,” they said.
Festival organisers denied the decision to cut the sound was related to the display of the Palestinian flag, but that the performance was ended “after the band used a chant which is widely understood to have a discriminatory context”.
A spokesperson said it was “not the band’s call to ‘Free Palestine’ which resulted in this outcome”.
Rap trio Kneecap shared a picture of the band holding up the flag to their social media, telling followers: “Our good pals The Mary Wallopers have just been pulled off stage and the PA shut down at Victorious in Portsmouth for taking out a flag and saying Free Palestine.”
The Mary Wallopers. Photo: David Conachy.
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – August 22nd
They added: “Speak up against genocide in England and you’re treated like a criminal. Up the Mary Wallopers. Free Palestine! Free the 6 counties!”
A spokesperson for Victorious said organisers had spoken to The Mary Wallopers before their performance about the festival’s “long-standing policy of not allowing flags of any kind at the event, but that we respect their right to express their views during the show”.
“Although a flag was displayed on stage contrary to our policy, and this was raised with the artist’s crew, the show was not ended at this point, and it was the artist’s decision to stop the song,” they said.
“The decision by the event management to cut the sound and end the performance was only taken after the band used a chant which is widely understood to have a discriminatory context.
“To be clear, we respect the right of artists to use their platform to express their views within the inclusive nature of the event and it was not the band’s call to ‘Free Palestine’ which resulted in this outcome.”
The Mary Wallopers shared a video of the crowd to Instagram, also showing members of the band holding up the Palestinian flag.
“Just got cut off at Victorious festival for having a Palestinian flag on the stage. We’ve been doing this for 6 years now and this has never happened before. Free Palestine all day, every day.”