1 day ago
5
Massive Attack member Robert Del Naja was arrested in London on Saturday, April 11th, while participating in a protest against the ban of Palestine Action, a self-described “movement committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.”
On Monday, Del Naja shared a statement calling out the “madness” of being arrested under the Terrorism Act for silently holding a sign in opposition to “genocide and support[ing] non-violent action to prevent it.”
Get Massive Attack Tickets Here
“Everyone knows this is total madness (including many of the police officers making these arrests, and the High Court judges who recently ruled them unlawful), and yet, somehow it continues,” he continued. “Everyone also knows that the sheer desperation of ‘Palestine Action’ activists vandalising military equipment isn’t terrorism. No one actually believes that.”
Del Naja further expressed his opinion that “many members [of] this government belong to a ‘war is peace” ideological party block that ignored millions of peaceful marchers to illegally invade Iraq. Their brand of arrogance & callous indifference creates the human desperation they’re hellbent on crushing in the courts.”
“We can demand that our government upholds international laws that previous generations sacrificed their lives for,” he added. “UK citizens will feel less desperation (& our overwhelmed courts will be quieter) if our country acts with the integrity of neighbours such as Spain; calmly declining the use of their territory & assets for illegal US / Israeli war crimes.”
Del Naja then stated that spending “a few hours in police custody under unlawful arrest is a very small price to pay,” before concluding, “Our democracy, & the civil rights & liberties that now sit in constitutional law were literally built on small actions like these. Perhaps that’s why this draconian government wants to crush them? Free Palestine. No wars.”
According to the BBC, the co-founder of the pioneering English trip-hop group was one of more than 500 people arrested during the protest in Trafalgar Square under the Terrorism Act. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization in July 2025, but the ban was ruled unlawful this past February.
While the Metropolitan Police initially indicated its officers would be unlikely to arrest Palestine Action supporters after the judgment, Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said in March that it would continue to make arrests until “the government’s appeal has been considered, which could take many months.”
Before his arrest on Saturday, Del Naja told the Press Association that he was not concerned about the impact an arrest could have on his career. “Being a musician, obviously, there was a lot of trepidation around how we might not be able to travel and get visas,” he explained. “But I thought, ‘This is ridiculous’ and then the police making that U-turn to arrest people again, I thought that is even more ridiculous.”
“So I’m going to hold a sign today,” Del Naja stated. “If I get arrested, I feel very confident that if I stand up in court with the right guidance and say, ‘This was an unlawful arrest and, therefore, I don’t accept it.”
Massive Attack have been at the forefront of supporting artists speaking out against Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. In July 2025, they launched an alliance supporting musicians who have been threatened with “attempted censorship” over their pro-Palestine views.
In late May, Massive Attack are scheduled to begin a limited summer European tour that includes stops at Primavera Sound Barcelona and Porto. Get your tickets here.
English (US) · 