Thom Yorke Walks Offstage After Heckler Confronts Him About Gaza

This happened when a protester shouted at him about Gaza

Thom Yorke left the stage during a concert in Melbourne after a heckler shouted about the situation in Gaza. The crowd responded with boos and cheers.

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Thom Yorke, the lead singer of Radiohead, recently walked off the stage during a concert in Melbourne. 

This happened when a protester shouted at him about Gaza. The protester claimed there was “Israeli genocide of Gaza” and said many children were among the victims.

In videos shared by fans, Yorke listened to the heckler before he responded. He challenged the protester, saying, “Don’t stand there like a coward, come here and say it.” 

He invited the heckler to join him on stage to talk. After this, Yorke expressed his frustration and said, “You want to ruin everybody’s night? OK, you do it, see you later.” With that, he took off his guitar and left the stage.

The crowd had mixed feelings. Some fans booed, while another yelled, “Shut the f*** up, man,” at the heckler. However, Yorke returned soon after to play one of Radiohead's famous songs, “Karma Police.”

One concert-goer, Elly Brus, told the BBC that security took the heckler away, but he kept making comments outside the venue. 

This incident took place near the end of Yorke’s concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. This show was part of Yorke’s Everything tour, featuring songs from his solo career and his bands Radiohead and The Smile.

Yorke has another concert coming up at the Sydney Opera House on November 1 and 2. Throughout his career, he and his band have faced criticism for performing in Israel.

The band’s connection to Israel goes back to their first single, “Creep.” This song became popular in Israel, even when it didn’t do well elsewhere. In 2017, they performed in Tel Aviv, going against the pro-Palestine Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Yorke responded to past criticism from British filmmaker Ken Loach. Loach urged the band to boycott Israel due to the country’s treatment of Palestinians. Yorke explained that playing in a country does not mean he supports its government. 

He said, “We’ve played in Israel for over 20 years through a mix of governments, some more liberal than others.” 

He compared this to performing in the United States, saying he does not support leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu or Donald Trump, but he still plays there.

The conflict in Gaza is serious. Reports say that over 43,160 people have died in Gaza since Israel began military actions against Hamas on October 7, 2023. This conflict started after an attack by Hamas that killed around 1,200 people in Israel. Many victims in Gaza are women and children.

Earlier this year, Jonny Greenwood, another member of Radiohead, faced backlash after he performed in Tel Aviv alongside Israeli-Arab musician Dudu Tassa. Critics accused him of “artwashing.” 

Greenwood, who is married to an Israeli artist, defended his actions. He condemned the silencing of artists and said he believes in making art even during hard times. He said stopping all death and suffering is very important, but doing nothing seems wrong too.

 

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