The managers of the Globe Theatre in London, along with hundreds of passers-by on London’s south bank, will have been left in no doubt about the strength of opposition to the Globe’s invitation to the Israeli National Theatre Company, Habima, to perform as part of the ‘Cultural Olympiad’.
In the hours before the performance on Monday 28th May, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters made their presence felt in a noisy but peaceful demonstration outside the theatre, and inside the theatre the performance was disrupted several times by protesters who unfurled banners and shouted ‘Israeli Apartheid Leave the Stage’.
Pro-Palestinians protest outside the Globe Theatre
Lyn Gardner in the Guardian reported that it was ‘an evening that held as much drama off stage as it did on: the production took place amid airport-style security and pro-Palestinian protests were held both outside the theatre and during the performance. For much of the first half, a woman stood up in one of the galleries silently in protest, her mouth taped shut. Others were removed.’
For full coverage of the protest, follow the links below:
The BBC version of events
The Press Release from the Boycott Israel Network
Tony Greenstein’s blog account
A lively account in The Independent
Numerous video clips on YouTube posted by Art4Palestine