Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Proms disrupted by pro-Palestinian protest

BBC takes Israeli orchestra's performance off air after 'sustained audience disturbance' by pro-Palestinian campaigners

Protesters have disrupted a Proms performance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.

A live broadcast of the performance, which had gone ahead despite calls for a boycott by pro-Palestinian campaigners, was taken off air on Thursday night after protesters interrupted the concert at the London concert hall.

A BBC spokeswoman confirmed that the live broadcast had been taken off air on Radio 3 following the disruption.

The BBC Proms team tweeted: "We're sorry that the concert was taken off air following hall disturbance. Glad both pieces were heard by the audience in the RAH."

The team later added: "We regret that as a result of sustained audience disturbance tonight's concert was taken off BBC Radio 3."

Pro-Palestinian group The Palestine Solidarity Campaign had called for the BBC to cancel the concert, claiming that the Israeli orchestra showed "complicity in whitewashing Israel's persistent violations of international law and human rights".

It urged people to boycott the event in a protest against it.

Contributor

David Batty

The GuardianTramp

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