A local group called Maine Jews for Palestine is urging the State Theatre to cancel a concert by the reggae singer and rapper Matisyahu.
The Jewish American musician is scheduled to play in Portland on Wednesday evening. In a press release, organizers from Maine Jews for Palestine said people have sent more than 250 letters asking the venue to cancel the show in light of Matisyahu’s support for Israel during the ongoing war in Gaza.
The group said on Tuesday that it plans to protest outside the concert if it does go on as scheduled. Venues in New Mexico, Arizona and Chicago have canceled concerts in advance of similar protests, while others have gone on as planned.
A spokesperson for the State Theatre did not immediately respond to an email or a voicemail Tuesday afternoon.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less