Velvet Indieground, a small independent record shop inn Istanbul came under attack by a group of men last night (June 17) during the Radiohead worldwide streaming event party for the release of their new A Moon Shaped Pool album . The streaming event was a global effort with the support of several hand selected indie records shops around the world. Reports suggest that the men were not happy about people inside the store drinking alcohol during the month of Ramadan. Video footage from the attack shows a group of shouting men barging through the record store, driving customers out, breaking furniture, and beating people as they were leaving – One man was reportedly left bleeding after being struck on the head with a bottle. Radiohead has since released a statement addressing the incident:
“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 violence as things of the ancient past. For now, we can only offer our fans in Istanbul our love and support.”