London Roundhouse “appalled” after Primal Scream reported to police for depicting Star Of David entwined with Swastika
London’s Roundhouse has issued an apology after Primal Scream combined an animation of a Swastika with the Star of David during a show on December 8th.
Primal Scream performed a 25th anniversary show for their album XTRMNTR at the venue. During one of their songs, ‘Swastika Eyes’, a screen behind them depicted pictures of political figures, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump.
The animation included the symbol of the swastika combined with the Star of David, replacing their eyes. Additionally, as per The Guardian, images of the devastation in Gaza were shown on screen, after which the video concluded: “Our government is complicit in genocide.”
In response, a spokesperson for the Roundhouse said they were “appalled that antisemitic imagery was displayed” at the venue. The venue was not aware of the band’s artistic intention before the show began.
The statement continued, “We deeply regret that these highly offensive images were presented on our stage and unequivocally apologise to anyone who attended the gig, and to the wider Jewish community. The content, which was used entirely without our knowledge, stands against all of our values.”
The spokesperson added that the venue “absolutely condemns antisemitism in every form” before continuing: “Acts of hatred, discrimination or prejudice of any kind are entirely unacceptable and have no place in our community or spaces. The safety of our staff and gig-going audiences remains of paramount importance to us.”
The Community Security Trust also shared a statement, announcing that it had reported the band to the police. Their spokesperson subsequently shared, “Entwining a Star of David with a swastika implies that Jews are Nazis and risks encouraging hatred of Jews.”
In response, the band issued a statement on their Instagram, which began, “The film is a piece of art. It clearly draws from history to question where the actions of current world governments sit in that context.”
They added that the idea “is meant to provoke debate, not hate”, and “in a free, pluralistic and liberal society, freedom of expression is a right which we choose to exercise.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.