Rock band Primal Scream have said a video shown during a London gig, criticised by Jewish community organisations as antisemitic, was intended to "provoke debate, not hate".
The Scottish group performed at the Roundhouse in Camden on Monday, 8 December. The Community Security Trust (CST), which provides security for Jewish communities in the UK, said it reported the incident to police after visuals shown during the set appeared to include the Star of David entwined with a swastika.
Primal Scream later responded in a statement shared on their Instagram page, saying: "The film is a piece of art. It clearly draws from history to question where the actions of current world governments sit in that context. It is meant to provoke debate, not hate. In a free, pluralistic and liberal society freedom of expression is a right which we choose to exercise."
The Roundhouse has apologised to fans and said it "deeply regret[ted]" that the "highly offensive" graphics were displayed, adding that it was done entirely without the venue's knowledge.
"We deeply regret that these highly offensive images were presented on our stage and unequivocally apologise to anyone who attended the gig, and to the wider Jewish community," a spokesperson said. "The content, which was used entirely without our knowledge, stands against all of our values."
The spokesperson added that the Roundhouse "absolutely condemns antisemitism in every form" and said it stood in solidarity with the Jewish community.
Primal Scream, founded by frontman Bobby Gillespie in 1982, were performing a 25-year anniversary show for their album XTRMNTR.
During the song Swastika Eyes, images of political figures including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared behind the band.
In a statement, a CST spokesperson said: "Entwining a Star of David with a swastika implies that Jews are Nazis and risks encouraging hatred of Jews. There needs to be an urgent investigation by the venue and the promoter about how this happened, and we have reported this to the police."
The charity Campaign Against Antisemitism said: "The Nazi swastika represents the ideology that inspired people to industrially slaughter six million innocent Jewish men, women and children by bullet, gas and any other means available.
"To visually combine that with the Star of David, the pre-eminent symbol of Judaism, is absolutely sickening and totally inexcusable.
"This isn’t art. This isn’t edgy. This isn’t political statement. It is unadulterated hatred and a clear breach of the international definition of antisemitism.
"We will be writing to the Camden Roundhouse and our legal team is examining the footage to consider further steps. Racism should have no place in the arts, but depressingly it is finding a very welcoming home there."
Source: Press Association
