Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker speaks out in support of Palestinian author after near “collapse” of Adelaide Music Festival

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker has expressed his support for a Palestinian author who has been removed from Adelaide Festival ‘s Writers’ Week. The Sheffield band are set to play a free headline show at the South Australian city’s Elder Park as part of this year’s event next month. Today (Thursday January 15) Cocker shared a post on social media to speak out for Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, a vocal critic of Israel. The writer has been taken off the line-up for Adelaide Writers’ Week, prompting significant backlash (via BBC News ). The board of the Adelaide Festival said the author’s appearance had been cancelled due to “sensitivities” after the fatal shooting at a Jewish festival at Sydney’s Bondi Beach last month. The gunmen were allegedly inspired by the Islamic State militant group. The festival explained that it does “not suggest in any way” that Abdel-Fattah had “any connection with the tragedy at Bondi”. However, the board said it would not be “culturally sensitive” to include her “given her past statements”. Cocker wrote: “This is Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah. You may have heard about her: she was ‘removed’ from the Adelaide Writers’ Festival. This led to an uproar which in turn led to the collapse of the festival. “Pulp were scheduled to play the Adelaide Music Festival on February 27th. We told the festival organisers that we wouldn’t be able to play due to the dreadful situation with Dr Randa. We were asked to delay making this statement.” He continued: “They have now changed that situation & issued an apology to Dr Randa. Dr Randa is happy with that apology. We are happy that the situation has been dealt with & are now prepared to perform at the music festival once more.” Cocker concluded: “This will be a free concert, open to anyone who respects the freedom of all voices to be heard. It will also be fun.” In a separate statement, the band wrote: “Pulp were appalled to hear of the circumstances in which the Adelaide Festival board had cancelled the scheduled appearance of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, and respect those who immediately spoke out against this decision. “We want to make it absolutely clear that Pulp refuse to condone the silencing of voices. We celebrate difference, and oppose censorship, violence and oppression in all its forms.” The group went on to say that their management and reps had been in talks with the festival organisers since the situation was made public last week. “Having informed them that we had decided to withdraw from the festival in support of the boycott, we were asked to delay an announcement while they sought to resolve this crisis for all sides,” the message added. “It is our understanding that the festival programmers are now acting in good faith. The festival board that made this dreadful decision have been replaced, and a full apology has been accepted by Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, who has been invited to appear next year. “Given this new and welcome development we feel...

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