On Friday, dozens of conservative Muslims marched on Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, to protest the British band Coldplay’s upcoming concert over their support for the LGBT+ community.
Conservative Muslims protest Coldplay's Indonesia show over band's LGBTQ+ support https://t.co/FtD9vOENzD
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) November 10, 2023
The band is known for incorporating their values into their concerts.
Lead singer Chris Martin has not hidden his support for the LGBT+ community, often wearing rainbow colors and waving gay pride flags at performances.
Martin calls himself an “Alltheist,” a term used to describe a variety of spiritual beliefs that do not conform to any religion.
The Islamic group the 212 Brotherhood Alumni organized the protest, which consisted of around 100 protesters, many of which were holding signs, as they marched through the British Embassy in Jakarta, which was heavily guarded. They could be heard chanting, “God is Great” and “We reject Coldplay.”
Protest coordinator Novel Bamukmin criticized the government for allowing the band to promote a concert in the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world. He stated if the concert was not canceled, thousands of protesters would confront the band on its way from the airport.
“We are here for the sake of guarding our young generation in this country from efforts that could corrupt youth,” said Hery Susanto, a protester from West Java’s city of Bandung.
Coldplay’s “Music Of The Spheres World Tour” is scheduled for November 15 at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno stadium.
There are 1.6 million fans in Jakarta, making it one of the band’s top streaming hubs. More than 70,000 tickets were sold back in May in less than two hours.
Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno assured Coldplay fans that the concert would go on without any disruptions. He reported that the show would help the city’s economy, which took a hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s most influential Islamic body, asked the show’s promoters, PK Entertainment, to ensure that the band would not display LGBTQ-themed acts or messages during the concert.
The members of Coldplay aren’t the only musicians to face backlash in Indonesia. Lady Gaga canceled her sold-out 2012 show after Muslim protestors threatened violence if she went on with her “Born This Way Ball” concert.
