Thom Yorke, lead singer for the band Radiohead, confronted an anti-Israel heckler who interrupted his show as he was performing a solo concert in Melbourne, Australia, at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Wednesday.
In a video that captured the incident and was posted to YouTube, a man in the crowd is heard shouting at Yorke while the audience reacted disapprovingly.
According to the BBC, the heckler called on the singer to “condemn the Israeli genocide of Gaza.”
Yorke responded by challenging the protester to come up on stage. “Come up here and say that,” he said. “Right now.”
“Come up on the f—ing stage and say what you want to say,” he challenged the protester as the audience cheered.
“Don’t stand there like a coward. Come here and say it. You want to p— on everyone’s night? C’mon,” he added.
After the man didn’t take up Yorke on his request, the singer responded, “Okay, you do. See you later then.” Yorke then removed his guitar and stormed off the stage, drawing boos from the crowd.
Security removed the protester and Yorke later returned to cheers from the crowd to play Radiohead’s 1997 hit song, “Karma Police.”
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The anti-Israel heckler “did not have support” from those in the crowd, according to one concertgoer who spoke to the BBC.
“He was escorted away by security. He then continued to engage with people outside the venue as well,” Elly Brus told the BBC.
