A protest paused Muna’s set at Maxwell Frost’s MadSoul festival, highlighting the ongoing tensions between activists and progressive leaders.
music festival was supposed to be a party for activists — a celebration of Central Florida’s progressive and queer community, in a hostile state. Frost wanted to show how far the community has come and its defiant rejection of Florida’s increasingly right-wing tilt, with a mix of music and community building featuring appearances from indie artists and progressive politicos, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
McPherson notes, several times, that they agreed with the protesters, adding: “A hundred percent, free Palestine, do not put your hands on these people, stand down.” Members of the crowd join in with a “free Palestine chant,” as a visibly shaken Gavin explains that there was no way they could let the protesters on the stage. They apologize, noting they were also getting instructions via their inner-ear monitors, and then decide to pause the set.
I was born and raised in Orlando, and while I enjoy my share of “Florida Man” humor, I also bristle at times with the simplistic picture of my home state in the national imagination. I wouldn’t describe the Orlando I grew up in as conservative, but sleepy. Though there were pockets of art, culture, and activism, it was always hard to shake the idea that the town mostly existed for tourists and people who made their livelihood from tourism, and there’s a reason I left.
“I woke up in the morning to the sound of helicopters outside and, at the time, was already pretty involved in gun-safety prevention work. My first reaction was checking on my friends,” she says, speaking at the local theater near the MadSoul stage that’s being used for press interviews. “I think that also really shaped my commitment to service, because at the time, our community was represented by a Republican in the legislature who was not championing the issues that I care about.
In the afternoon, a different organization, called Free Palestine, protested the festival. Told this, Frost notes he was the first member of Congress to call for a cease-fire. “I get it, I’m with them,” he says. “We are seeing 30,000 people blown to bits, or shot and killed, or starving to death in Gaza. It’s horrible. All the members of Congress on this lineup have also called for a cease-fire, AOC — same thing with Justin Jones and Zooey Zephyr. So we’re with them on that.
“You’re like, shit is real,” they continue. “It’s life or death. People want you fucking dead. That is just the truth.”
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