The Strokes delivered a political message during their performance at the Coachella music festival, closing their set over the weekend with a protest against the wars in Gaza and Iran.
The band projected video footage showing Israeli strikes in Gaza and U.S. strikes in Iran, alongside messages criticizing U.S. foreign policy, including accusations against the CIA over alleged involvement in regime changes over the decades.
Protest during The Strokes’ performance at the Coachella festival
(Video: YouTube)
The controversial video segment was shown during their second-weekend performance, after not appearing in their initial set the previous weekend. It was also broadcast live to millions of viewers on YouTube and remains available online.
The song accompanying the protest, “Oblivius,” had not been performed live by the band since 2016. During the performance, lead singer Julian Casablancas repeatedly sang the line: “What side you standing on?”
Large screens behind the band displayed footage from the Middle East, including scenes labeled “More than 30 universities destroyed in Iran,” followed by footage of a large building in Gaza being demolished, accompanied by the caption “The last university still standing in Gaza.”
Much of the video focused on what the band portrayed as historical injustices by the United States, from slavery to recent military actions. The inclusion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the end of the performance drew particular attention, especially given past controversies at Coachella over artists criticizing Israel.
Casablancas has previously expressed support for pro-Palestinian initiatives and in 2021, signed the “Musicians for Palestine” petition.
Reaction online was mixed. One user wrote on X that the performance was “the moment The Strokes ensured they would never set foot in Coachella again,” adding that they were proud of the band.
Unlike previous controversies at the festival, however, the anti-war message did not appear to catch organizers off guard.
Following their Coachella appearance, The Strokes are scheduled to headline the Goldenvoice festival in California in August.