A concert by American hard rockers Disturbed in Belgium scheduled for last Wednesday was canceled by Forest (Vorst) Mayor Charles Spapens due to safety concerns, amid threats by anti-Israel groups to protest singer David Draiman’s pro-Israel stance.
Spapens had told the Belgian News Agency that the decision to issue a police order banning the concert, part of a sold-out anniversary tour for 2000’s album The Sickness, was informed by public safety concerns.
Spapens: Safety of residents upmost priority
“My priority and responsibility is the safety of residents, demonstrators, spectators, and the staff of Forest National [concert venue],” Spapens told the Belgian outlet. “Given the unfavorable opinion of the police and the unique geographical location of the venue, it was my duty to take this decision.”
Anti-Israel groups had organized protests of the Wednesday show at Forest National, with Palestina Solidariteit (PS) explaining in an Instagram post last week that its opposition has arisen from frontman Draiman’s support for the Jewish state during the Israel-Hamas War.
The organization highlighted a June 2024 picture posted online of Draiman’s visit to an IDF base, in which the musician signed a “F*** Hamas” on an artillery shell.
It’s Not Complicated Brussels credited the pro-Palestinian movement’s pressure with the cancellation of the concert. PS said that it was “very pleased with this news for Brussels, which should also inspire other cities that have maintained or plan to maintain the group’s performance in their venues.”
Standing onstage at their show in Amsterdam the day before the scheduled Brussels show, the band spoke about the cancellation, with Draiman as its spokesman.
'Everyone is welcome in our house'
“We in Disturbed are all about unity, okay? ... And all of the noise of this world, all the anger that so many people try and instill in us. All the people in this world who benefit so much from pitting us against each other, we refuse to be defined by those people. The noise of the world doesn’t define us. The conflicts that are going on in this world don’t define us, because in this building, there is no f****** conflict.
“And it doesn’t matter if you’re Chinese or Taiwanese. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Indian or Pakistani, it doesn’t matter whether you are Israeli or Palestinian. Everyone is welcome in our house every f***** time we take the stage.”
Some popular metal websites, such as Metal Hammer, published the comments, besmirching Draiman in the headline for prompting the cancellation by his high-profile support of Israel.