<\/p>\n
\n\tAmid the ongoing war in Gaza and mounting calls for a ceasefire, Fontaines D.C. have canceled their upcoming concert at Zorlu PSM in Istanbul in a show of support for the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n
\n\tWith the Irish band set to embark on a tour through Europe and North America later this month, bandmates Grian Chatten, Carlos O\u2019Connell, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan III and Tom Coll had been slated to take the stage at the Turkish venue on Aug. 20. In a group statement posted to Instagram Stories on Thursday (Aug. 1), however, they shared that they\u2019d be pulling out of the performance as part of an ongoing, international call for companies like Zorlu Holding \u2014 which owns the performing arts center in question \u2014 to divest from Israel.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cTo all our wonderful fans in Turkey,\u201d it reads. \u201cFurther to conversations with Palestinian artists and human rights activists, we have now decided to cancel our show at Zorlu PSM, Istanbul on Tuesday 20th August. The global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement led by the largest Palestinian coalition, has called on artists to refuse to play Zorlu PSM until Zorlu fully divests from the supply of energy to Israel while it carries out what the International Court of Justice now agrees is plausibly a genocide.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe were really looking forward to visiting and playing Istanbul, however in this instance, we must be clear in our convictions and put solidarity with the people of Palestine first,\u201d the message continues, with the band pledging full refunds to ticket-holders. \u201cWe promise to play in Turkey as soon as we can make it possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAccording to a post<\/a> on the BDS committee\u2019s official Instagram \u2014 which Fontaines also reshared on Stories \u2014 Zorlu owns part of Dorad, a large power plant located in Israel. \u201cA campaign from BDS Turkey has already compelled Zorlu Energy to partially divest from the Israeli energy market,\u201d it reads. \u201cBut until it fully divests from the Dorad plant, Zorlu Holdings and all its subsidiaries should be held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIsrael has been at war with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas since the Oct. 7 attacks, in which 1,200 Israeli people were killed and 250 abducted. Since then, more than 39,000 Palestinian people have been killed by Israel\u2019s forces, according to The Associated Press<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n