'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMF/8QAIRAAAgICAgEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAAFBhETFiEyQlH/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBf/EABsRAQACAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMhYbHx/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDO9Gce2mutXa9NawoIIbEUY+XkQhHBP27Ib8HWRi1VCCJIpOP66R0AVnMMfbEe3eMZWbWVFXwgMura57n/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Last Dinner Party has pulled out of the Victorious Festival in Portsmouth, joining a growing number of acts protesting the treatment of Irish folk group Mary Wallopers.
In a statement on Instagram, the British indie rock band said:
Trending
“We are outraged by the decision made to silence The Mary Wallopers yesterday at Victorious. As a band we cannot cosign political censorship and will therefore be boycotting the festival today.”
They continued, pointing to the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza:
“As Gazans are deliberately plunged into catastrophic famine after two years of escalating violence it is urgent and obvious that artists use their platform to draw attention to the cause. To see an attempt to direct attention away from the genocide in order to maintain an apolitical image is immensely disappointing.”
The group also urged fans to continue donating to Medical Aid for Palestinians and apologised to those expecting to see them perform:
“We are so deeply sorry to our fans who were looking forward to seeing us today, and we are devastated to be put in this position that upsets both us and you. Free Palestine.”
Following The Last Dinner Party's cancellation, other artists also decided to withdraw from the festival.
Irish band Cliffords announced they would not play if censored “for showing our support to the people of Palestine.”
Meanwhile, The Academic said they could not “in good conscience” perform at “a festival that silences free speech.”
Victorious Fest removes Mary Wallopers from lineup
The boycott follows a Friday night performance where Mary Wallopers claimed their Victorious Fest set was cut after displaying a Palestinian flag and chanting “Free Palestine.”
Organisers disputed that account, saying their long-standing policy prohibits flags of any kind. A spokesperson added:
“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.”
Mary Wallopers rejected that explanation, calling Victorious Fest’s version “misleading.” They wrote:
“Our video clearly shows a Victorious crew member coming on stage, interfering with our show, removing the flag from the stage and then the sound being cut following a chant of ‘Free Palestine.'"
They continued:
“The same crew member is later heard in the video saying ‘you aren’t playing until the flag is removed.’”
Victorious Fest organisers have since apologised to Mary Wallopers and pledged to make “a substantial donation to humanitarian relief efforts for the Palestinian people.”
On Instagram, Victorious Fest explained:
“We absolutely support the right of artists to freely express their views from the stage, within the law and the inclusive nature of the event. Our policy of not allowing flags of any kind, which has been in place for many years for wider event management and safety reasons, is not meant to compromise that right."
They went on:
“We accept that, although mics remained live for longer, sound for The Mary Wallopers’ audience was cut as described in the band’s video and that comments after that were not audible to the public."
Reply
