A beautiful Christmas event was nearly ruined on Friday when an audience member hurled a racial slur towards the stage. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra was almost at the end of their program when the incident occurred. Though no suspects have been publicized, the organization is actively investigating.
The DSO did not identify which slurs were used or who they were directed at, however they did apologize and announce pending consequences on their Facebook page:
“The DSO is deeply disappointed by an incident that took place towards the end of Friday night’s concert when an audience member shouted a racial slur. Racism and bigotry have no place in Orchestra Hall, and behavior like this is unacceptable. We are currently investigating and will enact a permanent ban once we identify the ticket holder.
Live music is a profoundly human experience that taps into our emotions and provides us all with a sacred space for listening. We apologize that this space was violated. We appreciate our audiences so much and hope to see you back at Orchestra Hall soon.”