BANDS boycotted the weekend’s Victorious Festival after an Irish folk band was “cut off” for displaying the Palestine flag.

The Mary Wallopers’ set was halted on Friday after a crew member removed a Palestine flag from the stage and microphones were cut as the band led chants of “Free, Free Palestine.”

In response, The Last Dinner Party, Cliffords and The Academic announced on Saturday they would withdraw from the Portsmouth festival just hours before they were due to take to the stage.

Festival organisers initially claimed the band’s set was ended over a “discriminatory” chant.

A spokesperson said the group had been told beforehand that flags of any kind were not allowed at the event, adding that “the show was not ended at this point and it was the artist’s decision to stop the song.”

But the Mary Wallopers said that statement was misleading, adding: “Our video clearly shows a Victorious crew member coming on stage, interfering with our show, removing the flag from the stage and then the sound being cut following a chant of ‘Free Palestine’.”

Announcing their withdrawal from the event, The Last Dinner Party said they were outraged, adding that they “cannot co-sign political censorship.”

“As Gazans are deliberately plunged into catastrophic famine after two years of escalating violence, it is urgent and obvious that artists use their platform to draw attention to the cause,” the indie rockers said in a statement.

“To see an attempt to direct attention away from the genocide in order to maintain an apolitical image is immensely disappointing.”

The Academic said: “We can’t in good conscience stand up and play at a festival that silences free speech and the right to express your views.

“We stand in solidarity with the other Irish acts here this weekend. Up the Mary Wallopers. Free Palestine.”

And fellow Irish musicians Cliffords said they refused to play “if we are to be censored for showing our support to the people of Palestine.”

“We were not made aware of a ‘no flag’ policy … we have no intention of playing if this is how artists are treated for speaking out against genocide.”

In a further statement, organisers admitted sound had been cut as shown in the band’s video and apologised for mishandling the incident.