A performance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta, was disrupted last night with chants and singing by several groups of pro-Palestinian activists — including ISM London — and a picket was held outside the Albert Hall in London before and during the concert in protest at the BBC’s acquiescence in this rebranding exercise by Israel hasbara.
Outside a protest took place before and during the concert, along with a counter-protest organised by the Zionist Federation. Present alongside the Zionists were ultra-right EDL-type counter-protesters with their assorted collection of flag combinations. Also shown were some placards of victims of Israeli oppression, as well as the famous J-BIG “It’s KOSHER to Boycott Israeli Goods” banner.
Some of the chants heard both outside (and inside) the Royal Albert Hall included:
“The settlements are out of tune with international law”
“The Apartheid Wall is out of tune with international law”
“The siege of Gaza is out of tune with international law”
It wasn’t too hard to find a concert-goer who decided to boycott the IPO’s concert. I’m sure there were plenty more, as someone who was inside, I noticed there were many seats that remained empty throughout the performance.
The first action took the form of a choral disruption. Afterwards several different groups of activists shouted and chanted at intervals throughout the concert.
The scene outside: