Radiohead singer-songwriter Thom Yorke became embroiled in an on stage row with an anti-Israel protester during a live performance in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday night. The pro-Palestine heckler interrupted Yorke’s performance of Radiohead’s classic hit, Karma Police, towards the end of his solo show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, according to PEOPLE.
Footage of the incident recorded by fans is making the rounds on social media at the moment. While it’s difficult to discern what the heckler is specifically shouting, it’s clear that the attendee is a pro-Palestine protester as they mention “the Israeli genocide of Gaza” and go on to question Yorke, asking: “How could you be silent?”
The Radiohead frontman then responds to this, saying: “Come up here and say that. Right here. Come on. Come up on the f***ing stage and say what you want to say.” Yorke then points to the heckler, continuing, “But don’t stand there like a coward, come here and say it. Come on. You want to piss on everybody’s night? Come on.”
The anti-Israel heckler then responds, “How many dead children will it take for you to condemn the genocide in Gaza?” And to this, Yorke takes off his guitar, saying: “Okay, you do it, see you later then.” before walking offstage. According to attendees at the show, the Creep songwriter did return to the stage shortly after the incident to finish his set with his rendition of Karma Police.
While Yorke has not said anything publicly about the Israel-Hamas conflict, Radiohead did draw criticism for performing in Israel in 2017, with a sub-section of fans imploring the band to cancel the show in a bid to join a cultural boycott of Israel over their human rights violations.
Furthermore, the Oxford-based five-piece received an open letter issued by Artists for Palestine UK calling for the band to re-think their decision to perform in Israel. Meanwhile, the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) also requested for Radiohead’s concert in Israel to be cancelled, with British filmmaker Ken Loach asking in a tweet whether the band “stand with the oppressed or the oppressor.“
Yorke, however, rebuffed these requests, and responded to Loach, writing: “Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing government. We’ve played Israel for over 20 years through a succession of governments, some more liberal than others. As we have in America. We don’t endorse Netanyahu any more than Trump, but we still play in America.”
The Smile frontman then concluded in his letter, “Music, art and academia is about crossing borders not building them.”
