On 15th November, hundreds of Muslims demonstrated outside Coldplay’s first-ever performance in Indonesia. They clashed with police and booed fans because the band supports the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Queer, and more identities) community.
The British rock group’s viewpoints on LGBTQ issues prompted some Islamic groups to demand that their first-ever performance in Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, should be canceled. The band’s Music of the Spheres World Tour included a performance at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno stadium for which more than 70,000 tickets were snapped up in a matter of hours when they went on sale in May this year.
CNA reportedly that at least 300 Muslims gathered outside the stadium before the event to protest and hold banners condemning the show. When approached by police, the demonstrators, many of whom belonged to an organisation which dubbed itself as the “anti-LGBT movement” began to shove and fight with the officers.
According to local media accounts, they yelled charges that concertgoers were LGBTQ+ supporters and heckled them as they arrived at the stadium. The attendees carried a big banner that read, “Reject, cancel and disband Coldplay concerts,” as they marched roughly a kilometre from the Jakarta concert venue where the band was scheduled to play.
They labeled the band “propagandists for the LGBTQ+ community” and claimed that their views undermine “faith and morals.” Last week, the same protest group launched protests at the British Embassy and other locations in Jakarta.
Homosexuality is not criminalised across most of Indonesia, except for the conservative Aceh region which upholds stringent Islamic regulations. However, in the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world, where homosexuality is still frowned upon, gay couples frequently endure discrimination and persecution.
The decision to continue the concert was slammed by Anwar Abbas, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s most influential Islamic regulatory agency. “We know that Coldplay supports LGBT, but now the question is, is the LGBT behaviour in line with our constitution,” he asked in an interview. He added, “There are six religions recognised in this country, and not one of them allows and tolerates LGBT practice.”
The demonstrators lacked authorisation to stage a rally, according to Jakarta police spokesperson Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, who talked with the media. The police deployed nearly 4,000 officers to secure the sold-out concert.
Coldplay have a reputation for incorporating their moral principles into their performances. One example is their support of environmental sustainability. During performances, lead vocalist Chris Martin has been known to wave gay pride flags and dress in rainbow colours.
The protests occurred after LGBTQ+-related concerns caused Southeast Asian concerts to be scrapped earlier this year. The Malaysian government abruptly ended a music festival in response to the lead singer of the British pop rock group ‘The 1975’ attacking the nation’s anti-gay legislation and kissing a male bandmate while performing which led to the band withdrawing its July dates in Jakarta and Taipei.
After Muslim extremists threatened that they would wage out violence if Lady Gaga went through with her “Born This Way Ball” concert in Indonesia in 2012, the pop singer had to postpone her sold-out performance due to security concerns.
Notably, with 1.6 million followers, Jakarta is one of Coldplay’s major streaming destinations. The band has not commented on the protests as of yet.
