Aaron Grech March 10th, 2021 - 11:57 AM
Winston Marshall, the banjo player for the folk pop outfit Mumford & Sons, has taken a leave of absence following a tweet he made praising Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan To Destroy Democracy, which was written by far-right conservative commentator Angy Ngo. In the tweet he called Ngo ‘a brave man” and called the book “important.”
“Over the past few days I have come to better understand the pain caused by the book I endorsed,” Marshall’s statement reads. “I have offended not only a lot of people I don’t know, but also those closest to me, including my bandmates and for that I am truly sorry. As a result of my actions I am taking time away from the band to examine my blindspots.”
— Winston Marshall (@MrWinMarshall) March 10, 2021
Ngo has been criticized by many outlets for allegedly inflating the harm caused by antifa protesters and has also been accused of allegedly manipulating video footage taken at protests. The LA Times have alleged that Unmasked “wildly, dishonestly,” inflates antifa. Others, such as conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, have praised Ngo, with Carlson even contributing a quote to Unmasked‘s cover.
You are minted, you thick cunt. Step outside of ya bloodline for two minutes and use your fuckin loaf.
— Sleaford Mods (@sleafordmods) March 7, 2021
Marshall’s tweet was heavily criticized on social media, with the post-punk outfit Sleaford Mods remarking “You are minted, you thick cunt. Step outside of ya bloodline for two minutes and use your fuckin loaf.” As of press time, Mumford & Sons has not made a statement regarding his departure.
Mumford & Sons collaborated with Major Lazer last year for the single “Lay Your Head On Me.” In late 2019 they released “Blind Leading The Blind.”
Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
