Indonesia: Muslim groups protests against Coldplay gig over LGBTQ stance

On Wednesday, more than 200 fundamentalist Muslims protested in the capital of Indonesia, demanding that Coldplay’s performance be cancelled due to the British band’s support of the LGBTQ+ community. The demonstrators carried a big banner that said, “Reject, cancel and disband Coldplay concerts,” as they marched roughly a kilometre (half a mile) from the Jakarta concert venue where the band was scheduled to play. It called the band “propagandists for the LGBTQ+ community,” claiming that their views undermine “faith and morals.” Although Indonesia is a secular nation with a long tradition of religious tolerance, in recent years a small extremist fringe has gained voice. Reputably, Coldplay incorporates moral principles into their performances; one example being the band’s advocacy for ecological sustainability. During performances, lead vocalist Chris Martin has been known to wave gay pride flags and dress in rainbow colours. The demonstrations come after LGBTQ+-related concerns caused Southeast Asian concerts to be cancelled earlier this year. The Malaysian government abruptly ended a music festival in response to the lead singer of the British pop rock group The 1975 criticising the nation’s anti-gay legislation and kissing a male bandmate while performing, leading to the band cancelling its July dates in Jakarta and Taipei. After Muslim extremists threatened to carry out violence if Lady Gaga went through with her “Born This Way Ball” concert in Indonesia in 2012, the pop singer had to postpone her sold-out performance due to security concerns. The performance by Coldplay on Wednesday in Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno stadium is part of the band’s “Music Of The Spheres World Tour” stop in Asia. When ticket sales began in May, over 70,000 were sold in less than two hours. With 1.6 million followers, Jakarta is one of the band’s major streaming destinations. (With agency inputs)