ROME, AUGUST 9 - About a thousand people attended a concert in Beirut tonight in solidarity with the band Mashrou 'Leila, which tonight was to perform at the Byblos festival, but whose performance was canceled due to pressure - and in some case threats - of Christian religious groups that consider some of their texts blasphemous. The Lebanese daily Daily Star wrote this.
The Mashrou 'Leila singer is openly gay and the group's lyrics often touch on topics considered taboo in the Arab world, where their concerts have often been the subject of controversy. The concert, called 'Music is getting stronger and stronger', saw musicians perform Mashrou songs' and on stage speeches students, academics and activists defended freedom of expression and LGBT people's rights. The band members did not intervene.
The animation video accompanying the last single of the group, 'Radio romance', was also screened for the first time.