The Strokes condemns U.S. foreign intervention on Coachella stage

Key Points:

• The Strokes concluded their Coachella set with a political protest displayed on the festival’s LED screens, highlighting confirmed and alleged CIA interventions in foreign governments, including the 1953 coup against Iran’s Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.
• The montage also referenced CIA involvement in the overthrows of leaders in Congo, Bolivia, Guatemala, and Chile, as well as suspected government roles in the assassinations of Panamanian and Ecuadorian leaders and Martin Luther King Jr.
• The visual protest ended by spotlighting the destruction of over 30 Iranian universities due to U.S.-Israeli airstrikes and the demolition of Al-Israa University in Gaza, aligning the band with a growing number of artists voicing support for Palestinians.
• Lead singer Julian Casablancas criticized media censorship, referencing the removal of Iran-based AI-generated videos from YouTube that criticized the U.S., and sarcastically commented on freedom of speech in the U.S.
• The Strokes join other artists who have used major music festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury to publicly denounce Israel’s actions in Gaza and advocate for Palestinian rights, sparking widespread online attention.