Lead singer of pop-rock band “Imagine Dragons” kissed the Palestinian flag on stage during a concert in Milan sparking social media controversy amongst fans across the world.
A shirtless Dan Reynolds draped himself in the politically-charged pennant while taking his final bows with bandmates on May 27 during the band’s Milan stop on their Loom World Tour.
The frontman held up the flag to cheering fans — waving it for the tens of thousands of Italian attendees — then kissing the flag in a gesture that drew ire from many on social media.
“It looks like the band ‘Imagine Dragons’ supports terrorism,” ACT for America Chairman Brigitte Gabriel wrote on X.
“I actually really liked Imagine Dragons, but now it seems they genuinely hate my people. It’s disgusting how people still view Palestine as a moral virtue when it’s all a myth,” one user wrote on X.
on May 27 equipped with the Palestinian flag. @JimmyJ4thewin/X
“Imagine Dragons ends their concert by waving their solidarity with TERRORISTS. They’re calling for “gay rights” and “free Palestine.” Essentially, they just called for the deaths of all gay people — and their music career,” another angry pro-Israel user wrote.
Bassist Ben McKee also used the stage to promote a pet cause — displaying a guitar painted like the transgender pride flag which had a heart painted in the style of a gay pride flag on its back, video showed.
However, many pro-Palestinian fans applauded the band’s political stance
One viral pro-Palestinian post applauded the “powerful gesture.”
A Palestinian X-user wrote, “Very nice to see more people showing support.”
“Omg Radiohead has now been lapped by IMAGINE DRAGONS?!?,” Stand-up comedian Matt Lieb wrote in another viral X post, in reference to Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke walking off stage last year when confronted by an anti-Israel protestor.
Imagine Dragons previously drew the ire of anti-Israel factions by performing in the country.
On August 29, 2023, roughly one month before the October 7th Massacre, the American band performed a concert at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv despite calls for them to cancel the show.
Earlier in the performance, Reynolds, still without a shirt, paraded around the stage with a Ukrainian flag, video showed.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
