Conservatives In Indonesia Protest Coldplay's Concert Over LGBTQ+ Support

Nearly 100 conservative Muslim protesters marched on the Indonesian capital on Friday in an attempt to stop Coldplay from performing because of the band’s vocal support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Coldplay’s political beliefs have always been front and center when the band performs, including their stance on the importance of environmental sustainability and queer rights. At a recent show in California, lead singer Chris Martin could be seen running around on stage waving a trans-inclusive rainbow pride flag, reported the Associated Press.

Critics of the British band claim that the moral fiber of Indonesia is threatened by Coldplay’s suggestive show and pro-LGBTQ+ messaging which they are afraid will corrupt its youth.

When ticket sales opened in May, more than 70,000 tickets were sold in under two hours for a Nov. 15 concert in Jakarta—one of the band’s top streaming hubs—as part of the Asian leg of Coldplay’s “Music Of The Spheres World Tour.”

Protesters, organized by the Islamist group the 212 Brotherhood Alumni, carried signs and banners, chanting “God is Great” and “We reject Coldplay” as they marched to the heavily guarded British Embassy in Jakarta after Friday prayers.

“Coldplay has long been a strong supporter of LGBT and its lead singer is an atheist,” Novel Bamukmin, a protest coordinator said during a speech where he criticized the Indonesian government for allowing the Coldplay concert to go forward, reported the AP. “We must reject their campaign, their concert here.”

Bamukmin said that thousands of protesters would confront the band on its way from the airport if the concert wasn’t canceled.

Coldplay is far from the first band to face conservative backlash for supporting queer rights. Taylor Swift angered conservatives when she spoke out about LGBTQ+ rights at the MTV Music awards in 2019, Lil Nas X’s "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)"—a song about gay sex—prompted right-wing outrage, Miley Cyrus stirred up conservative ire with her song "Can't Be Tamed,” and Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” caused a moral panic. Back in July the Malaysian government also cut short a music festival after the lead singer of The 1975 criticized the country’s anti-gay laws and kissed a male bandmate during their performance.

Despite the uproar, Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said the concert would go on as planned. “We will make sure there are no threats coming from any group,” he said in May according to the AP.

However, the influential Islamic body, Indonesian Ulema Council, did ask the show’s promoters to make sure there would be no queer-themed acts or messages during Wednesday’s concert.