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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Chart-topping rock band sparks major backlash after waving Palestinian flag on stage
Imagine Dragons is facing major backlash after frontman Dan Reynolds triumphantly waved a Palestinian flag on stage during a recent concert in Milan. The American rock band - known for hits like 'Radioactive' and 'Demons' - was performing at the I-Days Festival when Reynolds held the flag aloft and draped it over his shoulders before kissing it before tossing it into the crowd. The moment quickly went viral, sparking immediate outrage and igniting a storm of condemnation on social media. 'Disgusting and shameful,' wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter. 'It looks like the band "Imagine Dragons" supports terrorism,' said ACT for America Chairman Brigitte Gabriel. 'Imagine Dragons ends their concert by waving their solidarity with TERRORISTS. They're calling for " gay rights" and "free Palestine."' another user wrote. 'Essentially, they just called for the deaths of all gay people - and their music career.' Many accused the band of politicizing a music event and showing bias in the ongoing and deeply contentious Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 'Disgusting. Why can't performers just stick to performing?' one person asked. 'Politics and music have no place together,' another commented. 'Musicians should stick to their music. Mixing politics with music is unnecessary,' wrote another user on X. Critics also pointed to the band's past controversies. In 2023, Imagine Dragons faced criticism for performing in Israel and Azerbaijan, in August 2023, before the October 7 Hamas terror attacks. Reynolds later defended the band's decisions, saying he didn't want to punish fans for the actions of governments. 'I don't believe in depriving our fans who want to see us play because of the acts of their leaders and their governments. I think that's a really slippery slope,' Reynolds told Rolling Stone in July 2024. 'I think the second you start to do that, there's corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world, and where do you draw the line?' Now, critics argue the Milan gesture contradicts that stance. 'He said he doesn't play politics with fans -but that flag is politics,' one commenter posted. Others demanded an apology, with some threatening to boycott future concerts or delete the band's music. 'I deleted their entire library today. Even some collabs with other artists,' one user wrote. 'This will hopefully lead to a serious fan base cut,' commented another. Still, not all the response was negative, pro-Palestinian advocates and many international fans praised the act as a show of solidarity amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Imagine Dragons was 'applauded worldwide' for the gesture, with some calling it 'one of the bravest acts by a mainstream artist,' the Daily Times reported. 'You just gained a lifelong fan,' one supporter commented. Another added, 'They stood up for human rights when others stayed silent.' Bassist Ben McKee also used the stage to promote LGBTQ+ causes, playing a guitar painted with the transgender pride flag and a heart in the style of the gay pride flag on its back, video showed. As of now, neither Reynolds nor the band has issued a formal statement on the controversy.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
The band Imagine Dragons sets social media ablaze after waving Palestinian flag at Milan concert
Rock band Imagine Dragons set social media ablaze after lead singer Dan Reynolds waved a Palestinian flag on stage during a concert in Milan, Italy on Tuesday. Video clips of Reynolds picking up a Palestinian flag and waving it before draping it across his shoulders at the concert's end racked up millions of views and drew mixed reactions on social media. The band's frontman also kissed the flag and threw it back into the crowd. Palestinians on social media praised the band for its support. One post that reached over one million views applauded the "powerful gesture." "Very nice to see more people showing support," another pro-Palestinian account posted. Liberals also applauded the band for appearing to take a political stand while they poked fun at the band over their dislike of their music. "Omg Radiohead has now been lapped by IMAGINE DRAGONS?!?" Stand-up comedian Matt Lieb wrote in a post that reached over two million views. Lieb was referring to the band Radiohead telling off an anti-Israel heckler during a show last October. "Imagine Dragons are now on the very short list of respectable celebs," another person praised. But Jewish fans of the band and pro-Israel commentators expressed their disappointment and outrage. "It looks like the band 'Imagine Dragons' supports terrorism," ACT for America Chairman Brigitte Gabriel wrote. "You know it's moments like these where I genuinely don't know what to do with myself anymore... I actually really liked Imagine Dragons, But now it seems they genuinely hate my people," one Jewish fan posted, adding, "It's disgusting how people still view Palestine as a moral virtue when it's all a myth." One popular post by a Jewish woman who says her grandparents were Holocaust survivors accused the band of "waving their solidarity with terrorists." "They're calling for 'gay rights' and 'Free Palestine,'" her post continued. "Essentially, they just called for the deaths of all gay people — and their music career. Goodnight, Imagine Dragons." The band is outspoken about its support for the LGBTQ community and Reynolds waved "Progress Pride" flags at previous shows. During the Milan concert, Reynolds also waved a Ukrainian flag. Representatives of Imagine Dragons did not immediately return a request for comment. The band faced blowback for playing in Israel in August 2023, before the October 7 Hamas terror attacks. During a July 2024 interview with Rolling Stone, Reynolds said he didn't have any regrets about playing shows in Israel and in Azerbaijan. "I don't believe in depriving our fans who want to see us play because of the acts of their leaders and their governments. I think that's a really slippery slope. I think the second you start to do that, there's corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world, and where do you draw the line?" Reynolds told the outlet.
