Budapest Music Festival Condemns Spanish Rap Group for Defacing Israeli Flag, Says ‘They Will Not Be Invited Back’
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Members of the Spanish girl band Tribade defacing an Israel flag at the Sziget Festival in Budapest. Photo: Instagram screenshot.
One of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe denounced the Spanish girl band Tribade for defacing an Israeli flag during the festival over the weekend.
“The actions of the group Tribade are against our cherished values of welcome and respect and we deeply condemn this hateful stunt,” the Sziget Festival said in a statement shared on Monday on its Instagram Stories. “They will, of course, not be invited back to our festivals in the future.”
Two members of the Barcelona-based rap group recorded themselves at the festival in Budapest, Hungary, going into a tented area, where attendees slept, and spray-painting the words “Free Palestine” and “Israel doesn’t exist” on the Israeli flag, as well as a caricature of genitals with the words “Eat this.” The “Gaupasa” singers posted the video on their Instagram Stories and wrote in the caption, “Tribade does not go back on its word.” The video has since been deleted from the band’s Instagram account.
The band has since made their Instagram and Twitter accounts private and two of the members have deleted their Instagram accounts.
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The festival, which ran from Aug. 10-15, featured Israeli acts such as singer Noga Erez, the indie pop band Lola Marsh and rapper Echo.
Ari Ingel, director of the entertainment industry non-profit organization Creative Community for Peace, said to The Algemeiner on Monday about Tribade’s actions, “Hateful displays like this do nothing to advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Instead of creating more animosity and division, they should support groups on the ground that are using music and the arts to bring both sides together.”
