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Longtime punk rock band Anti-Flag have broken up after 35 years of playing music together.
The group's Patreon page announced on Wednesday, July 19, that Anti-Flag has disbanded. Furthermore, the page stated that the Patreon is now in a mode where it will no longer charge the monthly fee. Refunds will be processed for all patrons in the upcoming weeks, and once completed, the Patreon page will be removed. As a result of this announcement, the band's official website and social media accounts were deleted, along with frontman Justin Greever's Twitter page.
Fans of the music group, comprised of Greever, Pat Thetic, Chris Head, and Chris Barker (also known as Chris No. 2), were stunned by the surprising news. Anti-Flag, currently on a European tour with the Dropkick Murphys, has not yet disclosed any information about their future shows. Earlier this year, drummer Thetic commended his bandmates for their enduring success prior to the release of their 13th album, titled Lies They Tell Our Children.
"It is remarkably uncommon, incredibly uncommon, which ultimately demonstrates our unwavering commitment to our band's mission," Thetic stated to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in January. "We possess a belief system that we adhere to, and we are willing to make certain allowances in order to uphold that mission."
After a woman named Kristina Sarhadi spoke out on the "Enough" podcast, which focuses on addressing sexual assault within the music industry, fans of Anti-Flag began to question the reasons behind the abrupt separation of the group. In the episode aired on July 19th, Sarhadi alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by a vocalist in a politically-driven punk band.
Fans have observed a potential correlation between Anti-Flag's history and her narrative, as reported by Revolver. Neither Greever nor any other members of Anti-Flag have responded to the accusations.
According to Sarhadi, she encountered the unidentified musician at one of his performances in Brooklyn and they exchanged contact information. Several weeks later, they rendezvoused at a film festival near her hometown and socialized at a gathering. Following the event, the musician purportedly informed Sarhadi that he had collaborated with Billy Bragg on a song and invited her to listen to it in his personal space.
“She claims that after he closed and locked the door, he suddenly shouted 'Football tackle!' and forcefully threw her onto the bed," she stated on the podcast episode. "This was an extremely frightening way to initiate a sexual assault, in my opinion. Initially, it seemed like he was joking and even laughing, but the moment I hit the bed, he tightened his grip around my throat and transformed into a monstrous figure."
In 1988, Greever and Thetic formed Anti-Flag, but the band disbanded after their first year. However, in 1992, they decided to give it another shot and added Head and Barker to the lineup. Four years later, they released their debut album, "Die For The Government." The band started gaining traction in the early 2000s when they signed with Fat Wreck Chords and joined the renowned Warped Tour.
Upon joining RCA, Anti-Flag ascended as a renowned global touring band, known for their strong political convictions. Through their music, they vehemently addressed societal issues, including opposition to wars, despotism, police violence, ecological devastation, and various forms of social injustice.
If you or someone you are acquainted with has experienced sexual assault, please reach out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).