Yesterday (May 17), at a concert in Istanbul where Patti Smith performed with her band, with New Model Army as the opening act, private security personnel attempted to stop an audience member from carrying a banner reading “Power to the People. Free Palestine” along with a Palestinian flag. Security tried to confiscate the flag, claiming that “displaying another country’s flag at a concert is prohibited” under a governor’s order.
Another witness to the incident asked them to show the governor’s order. Security responded, “You are not our interlocutor — we are speaking with this lady, stay out of it,” while attempting to push the intervening person away. The confrontation ended with private security forcibly ejecting that person from the venue.
The audience member waited outside the venue with their flag for some time — the concert was organized by Stagepass Live at Bonus Parkorman — before eventually being allowed back in with an apology. The official who apologized explained the decision to ban the Palestinian flag by saying: “If we allow this, they’ll bring out an LGBTQ+ flag too.”
But what they feared ultimately happened: both flags were flown during the concert, and Patti Smith shouted “Free Palestine” from the stage.
