Musicians have always used music and their platforms to comment on the world around them. Photo: Shutterstock.
The MU supports freedom of speech and the right of artists to use their platform to advocate for causes they believe in and express political views.
That freedom does have limits. There is an important distinction between expressing a political opinion and promoting hatred, harassment, or discrimination against people because of who they are.
Speaking up for the people of Palestine is completely different from promoting dangerous antisemitic tropes and we draw a clear distinction between the two.
There is no space for discrimination or hate in the music industry or our society.
Musicians should be able to use their platform to speak about political issues and express their views without fear of losing their jobs or being punished professionally.
Musicians have always used music and their platforms to comment on the world around them. Political expression, even controversial or unpopular, should not automatically mean that musicians lose their jobs and have their voices silenced.
Disagreement with an artist’s political views should not be a reason to silence them or remove opportunities. We should be able to disagree while still defending the principle that musicians and other performers have the right to speak.
Any member who has work cancelled, or experiences discrimination, should contact their regional office for advice and support.