Motaz Azaiza takes the stage at Massive Attack concert

Iconic English band Massive Attack has been widely praised on social media after prominent Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza spoke onstage at their hometown concert in Bristol, southwest England.

The band, famous for its trip-hop music genre that fuses hip-hop and electronica, is known to be strongly supportive of the Palestinian cause.

Around 34,000 people attended Sunday’s concert, which was billed as a low carbon event - with plant-based food, compostable toilets and battery-powered stages and stalls.

Before 7 October last year, Azaiza mainly posted photos of travel and cultural content from Gaza. But when the war started, he began documenting Israeli atrocities in Gaza and posting his photos and videos on social media, including Instagram where he has over 18 million followers. In late January, he was evacuated to Qatar. 

Azaiza's Gaza photos were displayed on the screen during the concert and the photojournalist received huge applause when he appeared on stage with band members. 

Thanks to Massive Attack for giving me the space to speak on stage about the ongoing genocide and the struggle of my people.

Free Palestine 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/3kCgVZhVWz

— MoTaz (@azaizamotaz9) August 26, 2024

“I'm not here to ruin your concert today,” he said to the crowd, some of whom were waving Palestine flags. 

“I’m here just to remind you guys… more than 40,000 people got killed by the Israeli occupation in my home country.

“I’m Motaz, I’m from Gaza Strip, occupied Palestine. I’m here to share the stories of millions of people who are still under occupation in the year 2024. 

“And I’m here to share the stories of my people, who just want to live in peace, but unfortunately Israel is not allowing us to get peace in our home.”

‘We refused to go back’ 

At one point during Sunday’s concert, a giant Palestinian flag was exhibited on the screen behind the stage.

Massive Attack live in Bristol tonight. Gig of a lifetime. pic.twitter.com/y0q9SzdGNL

— Fran Carlyon (@FranCarlyon) August 25, 2024

In July, Massive Attack released a single track in collaboration with two other bands to support Doctors Without Borders (MSF), an international charity operating in Gaza. The song, released exclusively as a vinyl record, is called “ceasefire”, and 100 percent of its profits are being donated to MSF. 

Massive Attack have also boycotted gigs in Israel since 1999, “based on our own observations of military oppression, occupation & apartheid”, the band said in a social media post in January.

Robert Del Naja, one of the band’s founding members, told Novara Media ahead of the concert: “We travelled to Israel in the late 90s twice, and witnessed an apartheid-style culture and society split by an apartheid type system. We refused to go back there on our own terms.”

The band has described the boycott as a “form of non-violent pressure on Israel to end its brutal occupation of Palestine.”