Imagine Dragons sparks social media frenzy by waving Palestinian flag during Milan concert

The band Imagine Dragons made waves across social media when lead vocalist Dan Reynolds grabbed a Palestinian flag and proudly displayed it onstage during their concert in Milan, Italy. The video clips of Reynolds hoisting the flag, draping it over his shoulders, kissing it, and eventually tossing it back into the audience garnered millions of views and sparked a variety of reactions from fans online.

Support for Imagine Dragons flooded in from the Palestinian community, with one post praising the band’s “powerful gesture” reaching over one million views. Other pro-Palestinian accounts also lauded the band for showing solidarity with the cause.

On the other hand, some liberal supporters commended Imagine Dragons for taking a political stance while poking fun at the band for their musical style. Comedian Matt Lieb jokingly remarked in a post that garnered over two million views, “Omg Radiohead has now been lapped by IMAGINE DRAGONS?!?” referencing Radiohead’s encounter with an anti-Israel protester.

However, not everyone was pleased with the band’s display of the Palestinian flag. Jewish fans of Imagine Dragons and pro-Israel commentators expressed disappointment and outrage, accusing the band of supporting terrorism. The Chairman of ACT for America, Brigitte Gabriel, questioned the band’s stance, suggesting that their actions amounted to endorsing violence. One Jewish fan, feeling let down by the band, expressed their dismay over what they perceived as support for a contentious issue.

One particularly passionate post on social media accused Imagine Dragons of supporting terrorists and deemed their actions as a betrayal to the poster’s heritage as a descendant of Holocaust survivors. The post criticized the band for aligning themselves with what they considered a corrupt cause, highlighting the complexities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Despite the backlash, Imagine Dragons have been vocal about their advocacy for the LGBTQ community, with Reynolds famously waving “Progress Pride” flags at previous shows. The frontman also made a statement by waving a Ukrainian flag during the same concert in Milan.

Representatives of the band have remained tight-lipped about the incident, declining to comment on the controversy. Imagine Dragons previously faced criticism for performing in Israel before terrorist attacks in 2023, with Reynolds defending the band’s decision to play concerts despite global political tensions, stating a commitment to their fans regardless of political contexts.