British band Muse cancels planned Istanbul gig / Photo: KEMAL ASLAN - AFP/File
-
Rene Eyre Revisits Autobiographical Performance 'Say A Little Prayer' in London
-
London Museum Granted 24/7 License Ahead of November Opening
-
UAE's HCT Holds Record Graduation and Announces Major Training Expansion
-
Dana White Confirms Flight to Washington for Trump Meeting on Press Secretary Role
-
NASA Awards $10B Lunar Contract Framework to SpaceX, Blue Origin
-
Dengue Fever Expands Into High Himalayas as Climate Change Warms Nepal
-
Katy Perry Tells Fans Ex-Husband Russell Brand 'Should Be in Jail' During UK Concert
-
IoT Refrigerator Hacks Disrupt Blood Labs and Supermarkets Across Europe and US
-
South African election results renew debate over identity-based voting
-
Post-election pressures complicate US and Israeli decisions on Iran
-
South African voters report smoother local election but declining IEC trust
-
UN members approve talks on treaty protocol against environmental crime
-
Dolly Parton museum and Nashville hotel open after singer’s death
-
Family-run West Sussex beach café prepares for first winter season
-
George and Amal Clooney attend New York political-comedy reading
-
CT scans reveal health and burial clues from Egypt’s Braided Lady mummy
-
British buyers pay substantial premiums for period-home appearance
-
Oxford faces complaints over lecturer’s classroom attire
-
Thomas Markle released to house arrest after child-abuse-image charge
-
Kyren Wilson and John Higgins reach International Championship snooker final
-
Dawn of War 4 developers chose Adeptus Mechanicus for tactical variety
-
New Zealand and Tonga meet for place in Rugby League World Cup final
-
Italy face unbeaten South Africa in Turin Nations Championship match
-
Reports of unsafe AI-toy responses renew calls for child-safety rules
-
ChatGPT interactive interface feature tested across six custom tools
-
Juneau food network combines difficult supply routes with deep sharing traditions
-
Freshways milk-price cut deepens pressure on UK dairy farms
-
India climbs green-transition ranking after first emissions decline in 25 years
-
Labour and National remain virtually tied as New Zealand vote count advances
British band Muse cancels planned Istanbul gig
British rock band Muse said Wednesday that it had cancelled a coming gig in Istanbul, after a backlash from fans at the concert promoter who criticised recent anti-government protests.
The band posted on X that it had taken the decision to shelve the June 11 concert "after careful consideration" and would reschedule for 2026 without the promoter's involvement.
On social media the post was liked more than 70,000 times in less than an hour.
Muse had come under pressure from fans to cancel the gig in support of protesters who have taken to the streets against the March 19 arrest of Istanbul's popular mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
The concert promotor, DBL Entertainment, pulled out of the event in response. Muse said the company "will not be involved" in its rescheduled performance.
Turkey's opposition has called for the boycott of dozens of companies whose leaders are seen as being close to President Recip Tayyip Erdogan.
Nearly 2,000 people, including several hundred students and young people, have been arrested since the start of the protests.
DBL Entertainment chief Abdulkadir Ozkan has maintained he was quoted out of context when he criticised the throwing of missiles at a cafe chain franchise during a largely peaceful protest on Saturday.
On Tuesday he pulled out of all music projects after he faced criticism from Turkish artists, and calls mounted for the Muse gig to be shelved.
Imamoglu is seen as Erdogan's main political rival and was chosen as the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
His arrest for corruption and subsequent incarceration sparked a wave of protests not seen in Turkey in a decade.
Some cafes, shops and restaurants in Istanbul and Ankara heeded a CHP call to remain closed on Wednesday.
L.AbuTayeh--SF-PST