NEWS

Jerry Seinfeld heckled by pro-Palestine supporters at stand-up gig

Jerry Seinfeld has been heckled by pro-Palestine supporters during a stand-up show in Virginia.

The comedian was performing on Saturday (May 18) at the Chrysler Hall in Norfolk when an audience member stood up and shouted: “Save the children of Gaza” and accused him of being a “genocide supporter”, according to footage posted on social media and obtained by TMZ.

The protestor was subsequently booed by other audience members, before being confronted by another attendee and put in a headlock.

Amid the scuffle, Seinfeld can be heard saying from the stage: “This is exciting. I like this,” and, “I like a little Jew hate to spice up the show.”

The audience were then heard chanting: “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!!!” as the man was escorted from the venue. According to TMZ, Seinfeld told the crowd not to boo the man as he had a right to protest.

The site further reports that there were around eight demonstrators who interrupted the show, though each was escorted out.

This isn’t the first time Seinfeld has been interrupted by pro-Palestine protestors recently, with the comedian’s commencement speech at Duke University in North Carolina sparking walkouts from those with Palestine flags.

The comedian was receiving an honorary degree and was able to deliver his speech. As he was being introduced, boos were heard – though it is unclear whether these were directed at Seinfeld or the protestors.

Seinfeld, who is Jewish, has shared his support for Israel amid the conflict in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians. He visited Israel after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, which killed over 1,200 people.

The incidents come amid widespread protests across US university campuses in support of Gaza, with many protestors facing aggression from authorities. They come after violent scenes at Columbia University, with pressure on the institution to divest from Israel.

These have also spread to UK universities, with calls to sever ties with companies that supply arms to Israel and withdraw links to Israeli universities.

Meanwhile, over 100 acts have withdrawn from the UK’s Great Escape festival in support of Palestine due to its sponsorship by Barclays, which is surrounded by controversy due to its financial investment in companies which supply arms to Israel. The boycott has been supported by the likes of Massive Attack and Brian Eno.

The Great Escape has yet to comment on the boycott, while Barclays has directed criticisms to a response in a recent Q&A session.

“We have been asked why we invest in nine defence companies supplying Israel, but this mistakes what we do,” the bank said. “As a bank, our job is to provide financial services to thousands of business clients and that includes those in the defence sector.”