PORTLAND, Maine – Singer-songwriter Regina Spektor’s performance in Portland on Saturday was disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters, who shouted chants mid-show.
Spektor Confronts Protesters
Singer Regina Spektor addressed protesters during her Portland concert.
Key Takeaways
- Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted Regina Spektor’s concert in Portland, Maine.
- Spektor, who is Jewish, directly addressed a protester shouting “free fucking Palestine.”
- The incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict within the music scene.
Spektor, who is Jewish and emigrated from the Soviet Union as a child, was captured on fan video telling a protester, “You’re just yelling at a Jew.” The disruption occurred as some audience members began chanting “free Palestine.” In response, other attendees chanted “Am Israel Chai,” which is Hebrew for “the people of Israel live.”
Reports indicate one protester charged the stage, shouting “free Palestine.” Spektor later commented on the incident, saying, “I don’t know what he thinks he’s doing. I really appreciate the security.”
This interruption comes as Spektor has previously voiced strong support for Israel. Days after the Oct. 7, 2023, Nova Music Festival attack, she wrote, “if you’ve devalued Jewish life so much that mourning murdered Jewish children at a festival raped women, and the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust has offended you — leave.”
Another fan joined the protest, shouting “free, free Palestine.” Spektor responded to the disruptions, stating, “I thought this was different than the internet, this is real life.”
A third attendee interrupted, saying, “there is a genocide happening. I’m watching children dying, that hurts.”
Spektor urged the protesters to leave if they were unhappy, saying, “You can leave the show if you want, this is not an internet comment section, I know you’re mistaking my show for a YouTube video. I think you should go, this is not the place for that conversation. I’m a real person who came here to play music. If anybody wants to walk out, this is your chance. Does anybody else want to take a walk? You can.” The fan video showed several audience members leaving.
Spektor shared her personal connection to the situation, explaining, “The only reason I even speak English is because I came here to escape this shit. I only speak English because I came from a country where people treated jews as othered, and I’m being othered here and it sucks. It’d be nice if one of my family’s generation didn’t have to go to a new country and learn a new language and just stay put. Have nice lives, you guys.”
The incident reflects broader tensions within the music community regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict. Artists like Kneecap and Bob Vylan have faced controversy for their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel messaging at recent music festivals. Kneecap displayed “fuck Israel, free Palestine” at Coachella, while Bob Vylan reportedly led a “death to the IDF” chant at Glastonbury, leading to visa issues and dropped representation.
Jewish advocacy groups have criticized such messaging, deeming it antisemitic. Both Kneecap and Bob Vylan have denied these accusations, clarifying their intent was to criticize the Israeli government, not Jewish people. Bob Vylan stated, “We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs, or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine.”
