Disturbed[1]’s upcoming concert in Brussels, Belgium has reportedly been canceled due to safety concerns stemming from singer David Draiman’s support of Israel.
The heavy metal band, as well as Megadeth, were scheduled to perform at the Belgian city’s Forest National venue on Oct. 15. However, the mayor of the municipality where the concert was to take place told the Brussels Times[2] that he ordered the show to be canceled, citing “security risks.”
“My responsibility and priority are the safety of residents, neighbors, demonstrators, spectators and staff at Forest National,” Charles Spapens, the mayor of Forest, told the newspaper. “Given the police’s negative advice and the venue’s unique location, it was my duty to make this decision.”
Months earlier, Spapens lobbied for the gig’s cancellation, noting the controversial photo of Draiman signing an IDF bomb[3] with “Fuck Hamas” during a visit to Israel. “This is about a man who signed a bomb that was dropped on Gaza. We do not support the presence of this artist, and even less so his position on Gaza,” Spapens said, calling the concert “a moral problem.”
Coupled with the “c,” the concert was also scheduled to take place one day after a national strike and other demonstrations, including a prison staff strike in Brussels on Oct. 14, further causing the mayor and local authorities to reassess the Disturbed show, NME reports[4].
Despite Spapens’ declaration that the Disturbed concert is canceled, tickets for the gig are still listed on Live Nation, as well as still included on the band’s tour website[5]. Disturbed have not yet commented on the Brussels show’s status. The group performed Friday night in Krakow, Poland, and is next set to play Paris, France on Sunday.
References
- ^ Disturbed (www.rollingstone.com)
- ^ told the Brussels Times (www.standaard.be)
- ^ signing an IDF bomb (www.instagram.com)
- ^ NME reports (www.nme.com)
- ^ the band’s tour website (disturbed1.com)