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Adam Johannes<\/strong><\/p>\n A company providing security at many major music events in Cardiff has been accused of targeting support for Palestine.<\/p>\n The claims come after a man was refused entry to the Welsh language festival, Tafwyl, because of a Palestine solidarity T-shirt.<\/p>\n Now two more people have come forward alleging they were challenged by Rubicon security staff over clothing expressing support for Palestinians.<\/p>\n One concert-goer says he was pulled out of a queue and held back for 20 minutes while Rubicon staff sought approval from management over whether he would be allowed in. Another claims she was initially told by Rubicon staff she could not enter Tafwyl wearing a \u201cFree Palestine\u201d T-shirt before later being allowed in.<\/p>\n Darren Hamer said the experience left him shocked: \u201cI went to see Garbage and Skunk Anansie at Cardiff Castle on Monday evening and while the concert itself was excellent, the night started with an incredibly stressful and frustrating experience.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile I was standing in the queue waiting to get into the venue, I was pulled aside by event security. They held me back for about 20 minutes, completely delaying my entry. The reason given was that they needed confirmation that I was allowed in because of my T-shirt and whether it constituted \u2018a political statement\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile I was stuck there, the security staff took a photo of me and phoned their management. Why? All because of the shirt I was wearing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe T-shirt, designed by Katherine Hamnett, featured the words \u2018Love\u2019 and \u2018Palestine\u2019. The shirt isn\u2019t political at all \u2013 it\u2019s humanitarian. It simply features the words \u2018Love\u2019 and \u2018Palestine\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Screwed-up<\/strong><\/p>\n He believes he may have been turned away altogether had he not challenged the decision: \u201cI pleaded my case and pointed out how ridiculous it was. Had I just accepted it, I\u2019m sure they wouldn\u2019t have had any issue taking the easy option and denying me entry.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamer said Shirley Manson, Garbage\u2019s lead singer, has herself worn a T-shirt saying \u201cStop Killing Children\u201d and has used her position on stage many times to criticise events in the Middle East: \u201cIf you book two politically outspoken bands, you are accepting of the fanbase these bands attract.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat kind of screwed-up society have we become where the mere mention of Palestine is seen as so controversial that it can literally stop someone getting into a concert? Since when is having the word \u2018Love\u2019 on your shirt considered a rogue political statement?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know it\u2019s not the band or Garbage\u2019s management at fault here \u2013 this is entirely on the event organisers and the third-party security company they chose to hire.\u201d<\/p>\n His account follows an incident at Tafwyl last Saturday involving Dafydd Oliver.<\/p>\n In footage seen by Nation.Cymru, Oliver, who was wearing a Palestine solidarity T-shirt, is pulled from the queue and told by Rubicon security the issue is the \u201cpolitical views\u201d on the T-shirt: \u201cWe\u2019re not here to put that on display, and for that reason\u2026 you will not be allowed in today.\u201d<\/p>\n Another festival-goer, Maggie Morgan of Cardiff Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said she decided to wear a \u201cFree Palestine\u201d T-shirt to Tafwyl the next day after reading about the incident.<\/p>\n \u201cTo test out the situation and to express solidarity with Palestinians on behalf of all Welsh people, I arrived at Tafwyl on Sunday afternoon wearing a T-shirt saying \u2018Free Palestine\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Morgan, security staff immediately challenged her: \u201cI was approached by a female Rubicon security officer who told me, in Welsh, that I couldn\u2019t enter wearing that T-shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n She said she began arguing her case before another member of staff intervened: \u201cSuddenly another Rubicon officer came over and said, \u2018It\u2019s fine, let her in.’\u201d<\/p>\n Incompetence<\/strong><\/p>\n Morgan said the first Rubicon employee appeared confused about the difference between Palestine and Palestine Action, which has been proscribed by the UK Government.<\/p>\n \u201cThe female officer said she thought Tafwyl had banned Palestine, and I told her that Palestine is a country, not a proscribed organisation. She did not seem to know the difference between the word \u2018Palestine\u2019 and the words \u2018Palestine Action\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was allowed into the festival wearing the T-shirt and I put it down to Rubicon\u2019s incompetence and lack of staff training.\u201d<\/p>\n Once inside the festival, she said the reaction from the public was overwhelmingly supportive: \u201cLots of people gave me the thumbs up or came over to say \u2018da iawn\u2019. I also saw other people wearing Palestine scarves and T-shirts later in the evening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am angry that ordinary citizens are being made to feel criminalised for showing support for a just cause. The Palestine Action proscription is having a ripple effect across the whole of society, and I hope that the government sees sense and removes it as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Transparent account<\/strong><\/p>\n Plaid Cymru Senedd Members Sarah Rees and Peredur Owen Griffiths said they \u201chave issued a formal letter to Menter Caerdydd, organisers of Tafwyl, and Rubicon Wales, the security company contracted for the event, to gain a full and transparent account involving attendees wearing clothing expressing support for Palestine. The aim of this action will hopefully help ensure that concerns are properly addressed and allow focus to return to the many successes of this year\u2019s festival.\u201d<\/p>\n Rees said there appeared to have been \u201ca misinterpretation of guidance\u201d and warned that unclear instructions may have led to attendees being challenged unnecessarily. She called on Rubicon to review its training and procedures to prevent similar incidents happening again. The politicians also stressed that people should be able to express solidarity with Palestine.<\/p>\n Rubicon Facilities Management and Depot Live, which organised the Garbage and Skunk Anansie concert, were contacted for comment.<\/p>\n For the price of a cup of coffee<\/strong> a month you can help us create an
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