Concert Chaos

Palestinian idol (Palestine's version of American Idol) Amar Hassan's concerts sold-out in Bethlehem and Ramallah. But when he went to Nablus, things turned sour.

Most of Hassan's songs have a political edge, and he performed them in front of 1,500 people yesterday. Riots and scuffles between the audience and Al-Aqsa Brigade broke out and the concert ended within an hour.

Members of the Al-Aqsa Brigade were still angry about the loss of their men in scuffles with IDF, and were bitter about people dancing and having fun. From the BBC:

"This is not the time to have parties like this in Nablus," one of the masked gunmen was quoted as saying.
...

"I am depressed. I came to dance and sing and suddenly gunmen surrounded [us]. These people are criminals," said one young person who had crossed several Israeli military checkpoints to attend the concert.

I hope people continue to turn out for concerts and other cultural events. If there's anything to be learned from hip-hop riots, it's that they decrease as time and nerves subside.