Imagine Dragons Frontman Raises Palestinian Flag During Milan Concert
Milan (Quds News Network)- Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds waved a Palestinian flag and draped it over his shoulders during a concert in Milan.
During the show, Reynolds picked up a Palestinian flag that had been thrown onto the stage. He held it up to loud applause from the crowd and then draped it over his shoulders while continuing to perform.
A video of the moment has been widely shared on X, drawing mixed reactions.
The backlash stems in part from the band’s previous decision to perform in Israel before the start of the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.
What a powerful gesture by Imagine Dragons. This kind of solidarity means everything. đ«Ą pic.twitter.com/P27yX3XTX4
— đđČđ¶đ¶đ đ đ«đïžđ”đž (@JimmyJ4thewin) May 28, 2025
In August 2023, Palestinians and pro-Palestine fans called on the American pop rock band to skip their concert in âapartheid Israelâ, as the show took on the ruins of Jarisha, an ethnically cleansed Palestinian village.
However, the band chose to perform, with Reynolds defending the decision in a 2024 Rolling Stone interview. âI donât believe in depriving our fans of seeing us just because of the actions of their leaders and governments,â he said, adding, âItâs a very slippery slope. Once you start doing that, where do you draw the line? There are corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world.â
No no, absolutly fuck these guys for trying to play both sides of a genocide, while taking money from the genocidaire and making miniscule symbolic gestures at the victims. @Imaginedragons https://t.co/5q1vNP6qQB https://t.co/e2Iaa5creA pic.twitter.com/04E4hyLPxf
— Bedazzling Bearer of Bad News (@PixieOfDeath) May 29, 2025
Thousands of artists have refused to be used by Israel to whitewash, or artwash its human rights violations. Many have endorsed peaceful measures of accountability even before the Gaza assault.
