Cultural BDS: Leftfield Cancel Israel Tour

July 23rd, 2010 • Action, Events, News
Tags: artist, BDS, boycott, Carlos Santana, cultural, Diana Krall, elvis costello, gig, Gil Scott-Heron, israel, Jethro Tull, LCD Soundsystem, Ozzy Osborne, show, The Gorillaz, The Klaxons, The Pixies

Following pressure from fans and BDS campaigners (FB) Leftfield have cancelled their planned gig in Israel citing:

Cancellation of Israel show
Unfortunately Leftfield will not be able to perform at the Heineken Music Conference, Israel on the 31st August due to unforeseen production problems.
– Leftfield Blog

This adds to the growing list of artists who have made similar decisions, including: Gil Scott-Heron, Elvis Costello, The Pixies, The Gorillaz, Carlos Santana and The Klaxons.

In addition to the Johnny Rotten protests occurring around the UK, a number of Facebook pages have been setup to pressure other artists:

• Diana Krall – please don’t break the Palestinian call to Boycott Israel

• Ozzy Osbourne : Please don’t play apartheid Israel

• Jethro Tull : Respect the Palestinian Call to Boycott Apartheid

• LCD Soundsystem: Please don’t play for Apartheid Israel

• Johnny Rotten you ain’t no human being if u play the Israeli fascist regime

We are working on a calendar to highlight UK gigs and events where artists who plan to visit Israel will be performing: bds.readingpsc.org.uk/calendar

Johnny Rotten Protest by Leeds PSC – 7pm 23 July

July 22nd, 2010 • Action, Events, News
Tags: BBC Radio Leeds, boycott, cultural, elvis costello, israel, johnny rotten, leed, O2 Academy, PSC, sex pistols

UPDATE! BBC Radio Leeds interview:

Former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon/Rotten and his group Public Image Limited will be the focus of a protest by Leeds PSC tomorrow.

This comes ahead of his planned concert in Tel Aviv and comments in The Independent about objections to the Israeli leg of his tour:

I really resent the presumption that I’m going there to play to right-wing Nazi jews, if Elvis-f*cking-Costello wants to pull out of a gig in Israel because he’s suddenly got this compassion for Palestinians, then good on him.

But I have absolutely one rule, right?

Until I see an Arab country, a Muslim country, with a democracy, I won’t understand how anyone can have a problem with how they’re treated.

Reaction to those comments: John Lydon’s rotten politics & ‘Rise’ against Racism

Events in Leeds on Friday July 23:

• Andy Brown from Leeds PSC will be interviewed live on BBC Radio Leeds at 7am:

• Protesters will gather from 7pm in front of the venue: O2 Academy, 55 Cookridge Street, Leeds

Leeds PSC group have also taken out a half page in Yorkshire Evening Post and on the Guardian Leeds site: Lydon/Rotten: Palestine protesters set to demonstrate at Leeds gig Friday 23 July

Check out the Cultural Boycott page at Leeds PSC & Johnny Rotten you ain’t no human being if u play the Israeli fascist regime on Facebook.