Pressure mounts to cancel Coldplay concert in Jakarta over alleged support for LGBT community

INDONESIA – As the date of the upcoming Coldplay concert in Jakarta approaches, demands for its cancellation have been growing, with concerns over the band’s alleged support for the LGBT community cited as the primary reason.

Two parties have voiced their objections to Coldplay’s concert plans, setting the stage for a potential controversy.

Several Islamic organizations held a demonstration to protest Coldplay’s performance in Jakarta. (Photo: Suara.com/Faqih).

The British band is scheduled to perform at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (GBK) on this coming Wednesday (15 Nov). However, calls to cancel the Coldplay concert have gained momentum, with a range of arguments raised against the event.

Partai Ummat’s Opposition

Partai Ummat, a political party in Indonesia, has been vocal in its opposition to Coldplay’s concert, primarily because they believe the band supports the LGBT movement. Aspizain Caniago, the Head of Education at Partai Ummat, stated, “There is still time for the promoter to cancel this concert because it is extremely detrimental to our young generation. Particularly for Islam, same-sex relations are explicitly prohibited in the Qur’an.”

Caniago emphasized that the prohibition of LGBT behaviour is not limited to Islam but is also shared by other religions in Indonesia. He argued that LGBT behaviour contradicts the values held dear by the Indonesian nation, as taught by various religions.

He expressed concerns that Coldplay’s members’ sexual orientation and their support for the LGBT movement could influence their predominantly young Indonesian fanbase. As a result, he called for an end to LGBT campaigns through music and urged the police and relevant authorities to revoke Coldplay’s concert permit.

Geranati’s Anti-LGBT Movement

The Anti L98T National Movement (Geranati), an anti-LGBT movement, has also announced its intention to protest against what they perceive as Coldplay’s LGBT advocacy. They plan to demonstrate at multiple locations in Jakarta, with Novel Bamukmin, the spokesperson for Geranati L98T, saying, “We will start our action by gathering at Al-Azhar Mosque, followed by prayer, and then we will proceed to the National Police Headquarters. After that, we will visit the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) for an audience. We will be accompanied by the entire community until we reach the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam). Our aim is to ensure there is no LGBT campaign.”

In addition to urging the concert’s cancellation, Geranati has threatened to “block” Coldplay if the relevant parties do not respond to their demands. Bamukmin stated, “If there is no clear response, we will continue our actions. On the day of the concert, 15 days from now, we may encircle GBK Stadium or even block the airport or the hotel. We leave it to the people to decide how they want to directly confront the situation if there is no action from the relevant institutions.”

“We have been communicating with the relevant parties since May until now, in order to ensure there is no Coldplay concert. As long as we can guarantee there is no LGBT campaign,” added Novel Bamukmin, spokesperson for Geranati LGBT, on Friday (10 Nov).

The elements within Geranati LGBT have pursued procedures by reaching out to all relevant parties, but none have responded. Consequently, the Geranati LGBT elements were compelled to take to the streets to oppose the Coldplay concert.

Screenshots of Instagram posts from Jakut.info regarding the planned mass protest against the Coldplay concert in Jakarta. (Photo: voi.id)

Police Prepared for Concert Security

In response to the growing tensions surrounding the Coldplay concert, the police have declared their readiness to ensure the event proceeds safely. The security arrangements for the concert are to be coordinated with the security of the FIFA World Cup U-17 training facilities in the GBK Stadium area.

Commissioner (Pol) Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, the Head of Public Relations at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, reassured the public, saying, “There is no issue. GBK will be used as the venue, including the practice field and training facilities. The matches will be held at JIS. It is customary for us to manage both national and international events in Jakarta.”