The Strokes' Coachella set criticising US foreign intervention goes viral

The Strokes' Coachella set criticising US foreign intervention goes viral Submitted by Hannah. Smith on Mon, 04/20/2026 - 13:17 The montage during the band’s final song with images of destroyed universities in Iran and Gaza sparked widespread reactions on social media Julian Casablancas from The Strokes performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, 11 April 2026 (Daniel Cole/Reuters) Off “What side you standing on?” sang Julian Casablancas, frontman of The Strokes, against the backdrop of the moment that al-Israa University, the last standing university in Gaza, was destroyed by Israeli forces in 2024 after they had been using it as a military base. The scene showing the detonation of the 315 mines which destroyed the university, filling the three screens behind the band with images of the billowing smoke, received 5.1 million views on X on Sunday evening following their performance at the Coachella music festival in California.  The original video has since been removed, but copies of the clip have continued to circulate through social media. The repeated chorus of "what side are you standing on?" from the band’s 2016 song Oblivius adds to the impact as Casablancas' words ring out over images of political figures across the world whose overthrow or deaths have either been confirmed or speculated to be tied to US intervention, starting with Mohammed Mossadeq, Iran’s first democratically elected prime minister who was ousted in a coup orchestrated by the CIA and MI6 in 1953. In between each chorus, the backdrop returns to a colourful outline of a mosque. During their Coachella set, The Strokes concluded their performance with a large-screen visual montage that drew attention for its political tone. The display included imagery referencing historical instances of US foreign intervention, including war crimes in Iran and Gaza. pic.twitter.com/Qk01YtpTOM— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) April 19, 2026 Displaying images of Martin Luther King Jr, the genocide of the Native Americans in North America, the enslavement of Africans, and the Black Lives Matter protests, the band shared a clear condemnation of the US's history of colonialism and foreign intervention, as well as its ongoing war on Iran and support for Israel during its genocide in Gaza, with the tens of thousands of fans in the crowd. Over 72,000 people have been killed in the Palestinian enclave since October 2023. What's so important abt the Strokes performance is that in less than 5 mins they made crystal clear that the US/Israeli war against Iran is not just happening because of Trump/Bibi. Its happening bcz this is what the US does. This is what it stands for. https://t.co/1ptmig2A4T— Maryam Jamshidi (msjamshidi.bsky.social) (@MsJamshidi) April 19, 2026 As they reach the song’s bridge, the message was underscored by the lyrics: “They wait so long… You never wait for some/Other generation,” seemingly a wake-up call to the typically younger crowds at the festival, which was soon followed by the swell of the final chorus accompanied by photos of various South American and African leaders alongside descriptions and dates of their ousting or death. the strokes highlighted the CIAs involvement in killing political leaders and overthrowing govts, showed the last university of Gaza being destroyed and showcased how racism and violence is ingrained in American history…they spoke up more with a screen than anyone at coachella..— 𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞 ⁷☆ (@livelyoongi) April 19, 2026 “Notice how the Strokes waited until the 2nd weekend of Coachella to show the war crimes of the United States and Israel. They knew if they showed this the first weekend they wouldn’t be allowed back,” speculated one user on X. Social media users emphasised the significance of such explicit political messaging during one of America's largest festivals, which is famed not only for its attendance capacity reaching up to 125,000 people per day, but its popularity on social media, particularly among influencers. I think a lot of you don't understand how powerful it was that the strokes displayed pro Palestinian and anti American imagery during oblivius on a music festival where several known zionists were also going to perform— Shame's Only Daughter ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ (@ysquxly_9) April 19, 2026 Some commended the “courage” it took, adding that their performance went further than other artists. One user wrote: "can't believe how refreshing it is to see a band or a musician actually using their political leaning songs to address something crucial in front of a huge audience".  Translation: If The Strokes, who grew up with all the privileges, protest against right-wing policies, why does the average person still support the far-right and repressive stances of the governments in power? For the record, I'm not a fan of The Strokes, but they sure knew how to use their platform well. Some referenced the importance of the performance at a time where pro-Palestine commentary has become increasingly restricted.  Translation: At America's most famous festival where pro-Israelis took the stage as the main act, they didn't just talk about the universities bombed in both Gaza and Iran, but also showed one by one the foreign state leaders killed in CIA-orchestrated assassinations - they are hands down the ballsiest group on earth right now However, one critic wrote that, “It would take more courage if they actually donated their money from Coachella to causes they are profiting from (they knew it would go viral on social media).” Others highlighted previous pro-Palestinian artists using their time at Coachella to speak out for Palestinian rights, saying that it is the responsibility of artists to use their platforms to do so. Last year, the Irish rap group Kneecap projected screens of text reading: "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people" and "it is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes," as well as "fuck Israel. Free Palestine." Coachella: Last year it was Kneecap arousing the wrath of genocide supporters through their support for the Palestinians; this year the Strokes featured Israel's genocide in Gaza - and CIA coups - in their show. Good on them, although, tbh, no musician should be silent. https://t.co/ORj0b2IsK0— Andy Worthington (@GuantanamoAndy) April 19, 2026 While The Strokes' social media has mostly remained focused on their music, aside from the occasional post endorsing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the band is known to have taken political stances publicly in the past, notably in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in 2020 and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests.  the strokes have always been political but it might be the first time where, as a band, they took an explicit stance(excluding the politicians endorsements) and it’s so nice to see this especially during these times and at the biggest festival ever— idkyet (@unwelcomguest) April 19, 2026 Casablancas made headlines in 2021 for signing a letter alongside 600 artists calling for musicians and performers to avoid playing concerts in Israel, supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The letter denounced “Israeli war crimes” during its 2021 bombing campaign in Gaza, calling for “solidarity with the Palestinian people” and an end to the “ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population”. Middle East Eye reached out to The Strokes for comment, but received no response by the time of publication. Israel's genocide in Gaza Trending Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:29 Update Date Override 0