Members of the alternative rock and dream pop band Blonde Redhead held up a Palestinian flag and played an audio recording of Mahmoud Khalil—the student who led last year's pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and was later detained by the Trump administration - during their performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
The recording, taken from the new documentary "The Encampments," features Khalil recounting his family history: Palestinians from a village near Tiberias who fled to a refugee camp in Damascus—where he was born—following “actions by the Zionists.”
Khalil, a U.S. green card holder, was arrested last month by federal immigration authorities after playing a central role in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University last spring. Those protests often escalated into violent confrontations, threats against Israel supporters and Jewish students, and allegations of anti-Semitism. He was transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana notorious for poor treatment of detainees and alleged civil rights violations. He now faces deportation after a judge accepted the Trump administration’s claim that he poses a national security threat, which could result in the revocation of his student visa.
Blonde Redhead’s tribute over the weekend was one of several pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel moments during the popular festival. Irish rap group Kneecap displayed slogans such as “F*** Israel, Free Palestine,” “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” and “The U.S. government arms and funds Israel despite its war crimes.” On Monday, the group posted a Variety article about the performance on the X platform, writing: “Honesty isn’t aggressive — f***ing bombs are.”
Green Day also expressed support for Palestinians during its set. While performing “Jesus of Suburbia,” frontman Billie Joe Armstrong altered the lyrics to sing: “Runnin' away from pain like the kids from Palestine / Tales from another broken home.”