Massive Attack to freedom: Robert Del Naja, 3D, detained in London for opposing genocide

Robert Del Naja, also known as 3D and the remaining member of Massive Attack, was detained yesterday in London during a large protest against the ban on Palestine Action. He joined hundreds of other protesters in Trafalgar Square, sitting among them and holding a sign that read “I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action.” He stayed until three Metropolitan Police officers carried him away by his legs and armpits, while the crowd cheered and called him amazing.

Before the officers came, Del Naja made his views clear. He said his arrest would be unlawful, called Palestine Action’s actions patriotic, and argued that any country that bans protest should not call itself a democracy. “If I get arrested, I feel very confident that if I stand up in court with the right guidance and say ‘this was an unlawful arrest and, therefore, I don’t accept it’,” he said. Then he remained seated.

The situation is as strange as it seems. In February, the British High Court ruled that the government’s ban on Palestine Action was unlawful. The police stopped making arrests for a while, but then started again as the appeal moved through the courts, a process that could take months. During this uncertain period, publicly supporting Palestine Action is still a crime that can lead to up to 14 years in prison. 3D knew this, but he still chose to go.

He was not alone. The Metropolitan Police said they detained 523 people that Saturday in Trafalgar Square, with ages ranging from 27 to 82. More than five hundred people sat with the same sign and were arrested one after another.

Robert Del Naja is 61 years old. He has spent decades creating music from the edges of society. Yesterday, he chose to stand at the center of it. He was not passive, but massive. Yesterday, 3D showed that his actions match his beliefs.