A Radiohead listening party in Istanbul was attacked by Islamists Friday night, reports the L.A. Times.
The event — which the band was not present for — was part of a global listening party for Radiohead’s new album, “A Moon Shaped Pool.”
Video from the party shows a commotion outside Istanbul’s Velvet Indieground record store, where several patrons can be seen stepping out to investigate the commotion while others flee. A man then enters the store and accosts several patrons. Seconds later, the store goes dark as the commotion continues and becomes violent.
According to The Daily Beast, one man claiming to be the event’s host said, “We were beaten by more than 20 men with pipes in their hands, beer bottles were broken on our heads.”
The attacks were reportedly motivated by the fact the attendees were listening to music and drinking alcohol during the holy month of Ramadan.
Radiohead released a statement that read, “Our hearts go out to those attacked tonight at Velvet IndieGround in Istanbul. We hope that someday we will be able to look back on such acts of violent intolerance as things of the ancient past. For now, we can only offer our fans in Istanbul our love and support.”
There’s no word on how serious the injuries were, but one man posted a photo on Twitter of the injuries he reportedly sustained (warning, graphic image).
https://twitter.com/emancipatedcity/status/743916238896791552